Scamwatch received reports of $2.4 million in losses to betting and sports investment scams in 2025, almost triple the amount lost the year before, according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) on 30 March 2026. These are reported losses only. Most of the rise in betting scams in Australia comes from one scam type: fake online pokies and casino-style sites.

This guide gives general information and is not legal or financial advice. It sets out the official numbers with their dates, explains how the newest scams work and lists the warning signs that Scamwatch describes. It also covers what to do if you have already paid.

If gambling is affecting you or someone close to you, the National Gambling Helpline on 1800 858 858 is free and confidential. You do not need to be experiencing gambling harm to be scammed, and help is available either way.

What the 2025 numbers show

Two official reports give the clearest picture so far. In its 30 March 2026 release the ACCC said that Scamwatch received reports of $2.4 million in losses to betting and sports investment scams in 2025, ‘almost triple the amount lost in the previous year’ (ACCC, accessed 5 October 2026). Reports in the category rose 19.6% between 2024 and 2025. The losses were reported mostly by people aged 25 to 34 and 35 to 44.

The National Anti-Scam Centre (NASC) adds a figure for those two age groups. Reporters aged 25 to 34 and 35 to 44 lost $1.8 million to betting and sports investment scams in 2025, according to its report Targeting Scams, published in March 2026 (NASC, accessed 5 October 2026). Both reports point to the same two age groups.

Reported to Scamwatch, 2025FigureSource
Losses, betting and sports investment scams$2.4 millionACCC, 30 March 2026
Change in reports, 2024 to 202519.6% increaseACCC, 30 March 2026
Losses reported by ages 25 to 34 and 35 to 44$1.8 millionNASC, March 2026
‘Scambling’ reports806 (677 in 2024)ACCC, 8 July 2026
‘Scambling’ reported losses$1.6 million (about $449,000 in 2024)ACCC, 8 July 2026

Keep the scale in proportion. Australians reported $2.18 billion in scam losses in 2025, across 274,577 reports that involved a financial loss, according to the ACCC, so betting scams are a small share of the whole. A reported figure also counts only the cases someone chose to report. It is not an estimate of the true scale.

The reports point to uneven impact. The NASC report records a 91.5% increase in reports about betting scams from First Nations people, with losses up from $221,148 in 2024 to $790,685 in 2025. The ACCC release also notes a 93.5% increase in reports from people with disability. Neither source offers a full explanation, so this guide does not guess at one.

How ‘scambling’ works

‘Scambling’ is the word the ACCC and Scamwatch use for fake online pokies and casino-style games built to take money. Scamwatch, in a page updated on 13 July 2026, describes the pattern: you may have some early wins, but eventually the scammers suspend your account and demand payments for fake fees or taxes (Scamwatch, accessed 5 October 2026). The site looks like a gambling service. It is not one.

On 8 July 2026 the ACCC announced a ‘fusion cell’, a time-limited cross-sector taskforce, and described the scam in more detail. Scamwatch received 806 scambling reports in 2025, up from 677 in 2024. Reported losses more than tripled, from about $449,000 in 2024 to $1.6 million in 2025. Over 45% of the 2025 losses came from people who identified as First Nations (ACCC, accessed 5 October 2026).

The ACCC describes a scheme with these features:

  • Convincing fake gambling websites invite you to deposit money.
  • Small early payouts may be given to build trust.
  • You are asked repeatedly for low-value payments, directed to multiple PayIDs.
  • Game results are manipulated and the alleged winnings are not released.
  • Some schemes include referral incentives that push you to recruit people you know.
  • The personal and identification details collected can be misused for identity theft.

The ACCC’s deputy chair, Catriona Lowe, said these scams ‘create legitimate-looking online gambling platforms to convince consumers to deposit money’. A polished site, an Australian-sounding name or an advert on social media is not evidence of who runs a service.

The identity side matters as much as the money. Scamwatch says you may be asked for identity documents, banking details or other personal information. Those details can then be misused for identity theft or other criminal activity. A scam can therefore outlast the last payment.

Betting syndicates, tipping services and prediction software

Scamwatch now defines the category broadly. Gambling and betting scams, it says, involve fake betting offers, fake tipping services, copying real betting businesses and illegal online gambling games. The page does not break out betting syndicates or sports investment schemes separately, so the best official description of those dates from the ACCC in 2013.

In a 31 October 2013 release the ACCC said that scammers promote their betting syndicates with promises of high accuracy and high returns, and tell victims to transfer money into a sports betting account used to place bets on behalf of the group (ACCC, 2013, accessed 5 October 2026). It also described software said to predict results from track conditions, the weather or the draw. That is a 2013 description of the mechanism. It is not a 2025 statistic.

The common thread in every type is the promise of a sure return. Scamwatch lists the same signal for the newest scams: you are promised easy money, sign-up credits or guaranteed wins. No betting service can guarantee a win.

Betting scams in Australia: the warning signs

Scamwatch lists nine warning signs for gambling and betting scams. Seven of them are summarised here in plain terms, with the source in the next paragraph.

  • The first contact comes through social media, a messaging app or a casino advert.
  • You are promised easy money, sign-up credits or guaranteed wins.
  • You are pressured to keep paying small amounts before you can get your winnings.
  • You are told to pay extra fees, charges or taxes before you can reach your winnings.
  • The platform offers bonus credits or referral rewards if you recruit other people.
  • You are offered a job receiving money into your bank account or moving money for someone else.
  • Customer support is unresponsive or vague, or disappears when you ask to withdraw funds.

Scamwatch also names a sign that sits at the centre of this guide: ‘It’s not clear who runs the service, so you can’t check if it’s legal in Australia’ (Scamwatch, accessed 5 October 2026). A second sign is being told to use unusual payment descriptions that do not match what the payment is for. Both are easy to check before any money moves.

A demand to pay tax before a withdrawal is a warning sign in its own right. Scamwatch lists fees, charges and taxes among the payments scammers ask for. How gambling winnings are taxed is a separate question for a tax guide, not for this one.

The simplest test is the one the Scamwatch sign implies. Find out who operates the service and who licenses it. Part of that check is to look at the register of the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), and the steps are in how to check whether a betting site is licensed in Australia. If no operator can be identified, that is a warning sign in itself.

A job offer that involves your bank account is a different kind of risk. Scamwatch says never to allow your personal bank account to be used by a gambling app or website to receive or move money on their behalf. This guide does not set out the legal consequences. Treat any such offer as a reason to stop.

PayID and the payments scammers ask for

PayID appears in scambling reports because it is an everyday Australian payment method, not because it is unsafe. Australian Payments Plus, which runs PayID, explains that a PayID is an easy-to-remember piece of information, such as a mobile number, email address or ABN, that is linked to a bank account. You are shown the name linked to the PayID before you send (Australian Payments Plus, accessed 5 October 2026). Read that name before you confirm a payment.

Two patterns should stop you. The first is repeated small payments to different accounts or PayIDs, which Scamwatch advises you to be very wary of. The second is a request to set up a new bank account or PayID to pay or be paid. Scamwatch says this is ‘a clear sign you should be suspicious’ (Scamwatch, updated 2 March 2026).

Australian Payments Plus also says that PayID will never contact you directly, and will never ask you to send money to receive money or to ‘upgrade your account’. A payment to the name of a private person is not a payment to a gambling business. If the name does not match the service, do not send it.

How a scam differs from an illegal gambling site

Two problems are easy to confuse, and they lead to different reports. An illegal gambling site is a real service offered without an Australian licence. The Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (the Act) limits what providers may offer to people in Australia, and the ACMA enforces it. A scam site only pretends to offer a service. For the full picture, see what counts as an illegal gambling site.

The ACMA says the banned services include slots (pokies), casino-style games like poker, blackjack and roulette, scratchies, in-play betting on sporting events, and betting and lottery services that are not licensed in Australia (ACMA, accessed 5 October 2026). An offer of online pokies to people in Australia is not a licensed service, whoever stands behind it. That describes the service. It says nothing about any one brand.

The ACMA warns that illegal operators let you deposit money on their website or app, but if you win you cannot access your winnings, and that you are unlikely to see your money again in these situations. For a person who has lost money, the result can feel the same as a scam. The difference is where the report goes. A withheld win from an operator can be reported to the ACMA, as set out in what you can do when an online casino won’t pay out. A fake site that takes payments and demands more is a scam, so contact your bank and report it to Scamwatch.

Licensed gambling in Australia is a defined category. For what sits on the licensed side, read what is licensed in Australia. A licence claim on a homepage is not a substitute for checking who runs the service.

What the regulators actually do

Several bodies are involved, and none of them handles the whole problem. The National Anti-Scam Centre and Scamwatch collect reports, publish the data and warn the public. The ACCC announced a cross-sector fusion cell on 8 July 2026 that brings together law enforcement, government agencies and regulators, digital platforms, banks, telecommunications providers and frontline community services. Its aim is disruption and consumer awareness.

The ACMA deals with illegal gambling services, including investigations and requests to block websites. That work is separate from scam reports. Neither the Scamwatch guidance nor the ACMA guidance promises that a report will return your money. A report is still worth making: the figures in this guide exist because people reported.

The reach of each body ends where the money has already left your account. That is why the first call after a payment is to your bank or card provider, who can be asked to stop any transactions.

Where to report a scam and where to get help if you have paid

The steps below draw on Scamwatch’s guidance on what to do if you have been scammed, last updated on 9 December 2025, and on its page about gambling and betting scams (Scamwatch, accessed 5 October 2026). They are in order of urgency. The last step is practical advice, not an official requirement.

  1. Contact your bank or card provider immediately to report the scam, and ask them to stop any transactions. If you are not sure whether you are being scammed, stop sending money.
  2. Change the passwords of any account that may have been exposed, especially if you shared login or identity details.
  3. Contact IDCARE on 1800 595 160. It describes itself as Australia’s national identity and cyber incident support service, and it is free for individuals.
  4. Report the scam to Scamwatch. Scamwatch also says you can make an official report to the police online.
  5. If you are unhappy with your bank’s response, Scamwatch points to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority.
  6. Keep every message, screenshot, PayID, recipient name and statement, and note the date of each.

Be careful with what comes next. Scamwatch warns that 1 in 3 victims of a scam have been scammed more than once. It names anyone offering to help you get your money back as a follow-up risk. No step above promises that you will get your money back, and nobody should promise it to you.

If the experience has left you stressed or low, Lifeline is on 13 11 14. If gambling has been part of the picture, the National Gambling Helpline on 1800 858 858 offers free and confidential support, and Gambling Help Online offers it by phone, chat and email. You do not have to be experiencing gambling harm to be a victim of a scam, and you do not have to wait until things become serious to ask for help.

Frequently asked questions

What is a betting scam?

A betting scam is a fake betting or gambling offer designed to take money or personal information. Scamwatch lists fake betting offers, fake tipping services, copies of real betting businesses and illegal online gambling games. The common thread is a promise of easy money, sign-up credits or guaranteed wins.

What is ‘scambling’?

‘Scambling’ is a term for fake online pokies and casino-style games. Scamwatch describes some early wins, then a suspended account and demands for payments for fake fees or taxes. The ACCC says it accounts for the vast majority of the 2025 increase in reported betting and sports investment scam losses.

How much do betting scams cost people in Australia?

Scamwatch received reports of $2.4 million in losses to betting and sports investment scams in 2025, according to the ACCC on 30 March 2026. That is almost triple the previous year. It counts only reported cases, so it is not an estimate of the full amount lost.

Is a request to pay tax or a fee before a withdrawal a scam?

Scamwatch lists it as a warning sign: you are told to pay extra fees, charges or taxes before you can reach your winnings. A request like that, from a service you cannot identify, should make you stop. Contact your bank before sending anything, and report the request to Scamwatch.

Why do gambling scams ask for payments to different PayIDs?

The ACCC describes repeated low-value payments directed to multiple PayIDs as part of scambling. Scamwatch advises being very wary of repeated small payments to different accounts or PayIDs. PayID itself is a normal payment address, but a changing recipient name is a reason to stop.

Can you get your money back after a betting scam?

Nothing in the official guidance promises it. Contact your bank or card provider immediately and ask them to stop any transactions, then report the scam. The outcome is uncertain, and Scamwatch warns about follow-up scams from anyone offering to help you get your money back. Be wary of any offer like that.

Where do you report a betting scam in Australia?

Report it to Scamwatch and to the police online, after you have contacted your bank. If the service withheld winnings but looked like a real gambling site, you can also make a complaint to the ACMA about the website. IDCARE can help if your identity details were shared.

Is a betting syndicate or a tipping service a scam?

Not automatically. The signs of a scam are a promise of a sure return and a request to transfer money to a stranger. The ACCC described betting syndicate scams in 2013 as promising high accuracy and high returns. If you cannot identify who runs the service, do not send money.

Sources