Meta is facing renewed scrutiny after an Australian influencer with more than 820,000 Instagram followers promoted an illegal offshore crypto-gambling platform, Rainbet, despite repeated reports from users and warnings from regulators. As reported by The Guardian, the streamer known as Dinah posted multiple videos encouraging followers to use the crypto casino while linking to it from her profile.
In one widely viewed post, Dinah captioned a video with “WHY PAY RENT WHEN U CAN JUST DOUBLE IT???? (ty rainbet! link in bio – helps me out a lot)”. Another clip showed her using the app in a car, accompanied by a caption referencing a “50/50 Michelin star or Maccas speedrun”. Several posts drew tens of thousands of views and likes.
Screenshots shared with The Guardian show at least 10 user reports made in January flagging the posts for promoting illegal gambling. In most responses, Meta informed reporters that the content did not violate community standards relating to fraud or scams. The platform does not offer a category dedicated to reporting gambling promotions.
While Meta restricted certain videos from being shown to users under 18, the posts remained online and the company declined to comment on the matter. Dinah’s Rainbet link was no longer visible on Tuesday, although her account and previous content remained active.
Australia’s communications regulator, the Australian Communications and Media Authority, reiterated that influencers have been formally warned about the risks of promoting illegal gambling. ACMA has stated that individuals may face fines of up to AU$59,400, while influencers who facilitate access to illegal gambling services could face penalties of up to AU$2.4m.
Rainbet has reportedly implemented measures to prevent Australian users from accessing its platform. However, ACMA noted that some viewers may still reach blocked offshore operators by using virtual private networks.
Australia has blocked 1,455 illegal gambling and affiliate websites since 2019
