Scambling: Online gambling scams rise in Australia

Australians face a rising online threat known as "scambling," or scam gambling, contributing to the nation's annual $2.2 billion loss from financial swindles. Despite being illegal since 2021, these gambling games, mimicking casinos and scratchies, continue to lure unsuspecting individuals.

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It’s definitely ramping up.

Telecommunications giant Telstra is actively combating this threat, having blocked close to 1800 high-risk gambling-themed domains since the start of 2026. This action has prevented over two million attempted visits from people enticed by promises of substantial winnings.

Darren Pauli, a cybersecurity expert at Telstra, notes a concerning shift in the timing of these scams. The company observed that 63 percent of scam messages are sent between 6 p.m. and midnight, with a peak between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. This timing coincides with when people are typically relaxing and their guard is down, often during sporting events.

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If people are going to put a bet on, that’s probably when sports are on, everyone’s relaxing and your guard is down.

A second surge in scam activity occurs between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. Pauli suggests this targets shift workers or insomniacs seeking distraction. Scammers have honed their timing over years, exploiting periods when individuals are mentally less sharp to maximize their success.

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Certainly, your mind is not as sharp as it could be … (the scammers) had years working out when people are not at their sharpest mentally, so they kind of know what works.