A lack of due diligence paired with the ease of securing modern brand deals is leaving athletes vulnerable to backlash from fans and regulators.
Former UFC fighter Jamie Mullarkey has breached Australia’s gambling laws through activity on his Instagram account.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) issued a warning to the fighter after it found Mullarkey promoted an illegal offshore gambling company on social media in 2025.
The Australian MMA fighter competed in the Lightweight division of the UFC between 2019 and 2026, boasting a record of six wins and seven losses before being released by the promotion earlier this year.
According to an announcement by the watchdog, Mullarkey’s Instagram profile featured a link to the gambling site and posts with promotional hashtags referring to the service. This practice is illegal in Australia, with laws banning the promotion of illegal gambling services.
“In this case, the ACMA issued a formal warning considering the specific circumstances of the matter,” said ACMA member Carolyn Lidgerwood.
“This included that Mr Mullarkey ended the sponsorship arrangement promptly, cooperated with the investigation and quickly removed the material. Mr Mullarkey also accepted responsibility for his conduct and expressed genuine remorse.”
Athletes and influencers placed on notice
The former UFC fighter becomes the first influencer the ACMA has taken enforcement action against for such breaches, though he has dodged full punishment.
Under the rules, individuals who promote illegal online gambling services can face civil penalties of up to AUD$59,400 (£30,822). Mullarkey was also eligible for a greater penalty of AUD$2.47m due to providing links to the company.
Despite the ACMA taking a slightly more lenient approach, Lidgerwood said this should act as a warning to influencers and their agents.
“Athletes and social media personalities with large online followings can have significant influence over their audiences and can encourage the use of illegal gambling services,” said Lidgerwood.
“This is the first enforcement action we have taken against an influencer for breaching online gambling rules, and it should serve as a warning to others.”
The modern danger of athlete marketing
Athlete marketing has been around for decades, looking back to David Beckham’s campaign for Adidas’ Predator boots in the early 2000s. Beckham may be viewed as someone who revolutionised how athletes create their own brand, but times have changed since then.
Before social media, footballers and other sports stars may have appeared in adverts or been asked to wear a certain brand of clothing, which would usually require travelling to a studio for photographs or filming.
While these types of opportunities still exist, the majority now just require a post on social media, which takes a few seconds. Their agents are also now more likely to manage these opportunities with very little contribution from the athletes apart from consent.
A recent controversial opportunity that current players, including Harry Maguire, Gabriel Jesus, Thiago Silva and others, were criticised for was adverts for a mobile game called Kingshot.
The players spoke about how they enjoy playing the game in their free time in front of gameplay, which has been called out as misleading by reviews.
Insider Sport reached out to the management of some of the players but never received a response.
Not properly vetting or researching a mobile game before agreeing to an advert may sound minor. However, this lack of knowledge and vetting can have significant implications when it comes to an industry like gambling.
