Australia’s proposed gambling reforms would outlaw billionaire Adrian Portelli’s subscriber-based “giveaway” lottery, according to multiple reports. The outlets say the reforms, put forward by the federal Labor government, would target businesses that operate in a “giveaway” model—where consumers pay for subscriptions and are then entered into prize-style draws—placing them under restrictions or bans that the government frames as crackdowns on problematic gambling-like conduct.
The reports also note that Portelli’s legal team is disputing the breadth of the proposed measures. His lawyers urge the government not to treat the entire industry as the same, arguing that the reforms should not blanket-ban all similar activities. They are effectively calling for more precise rules that would distinguish between different business models.
While the articles describe the same regulatory direction—an outlawing of Portelli’s giveaway operation—the coverage varies in emphasis, with some outlets foregrounding the immediate impact of the reforms and others focusing more on Portelli’s legal response. The reports agree, however, that the changes are designed to reduce or eliminate giveaway-style gambling mechanisms and would affect Portelli’s company.
