PETALING JAYA: The offers often come quietly through direct messages, intermediaries or sponsorship proposals, promising payouts far higher than those in ordinary endorsement deals.
Several influencers said they had been repeatedly approached to promote gambling-related websites and online gaming platforms, with some campaigns allegedly offering payouts up to 50% higher, up to several thousand ringgit, a lot more than standard commercial collaborations.
A gadget and lifestyle YouTuber with about a million followers said the amount offered usually depended on an influencer’s followers and the length of the campaign.
“The more followers the influencer has, the higher the payout,” said the YouTuber, who identified himself only as Jake.
He said gambling operators would often use third-party agents or runners to approach and pay influencers, making it difficult to trace who was actually behind the websites being promoted.
“These jobs usually offer higher payouts. If there’s long-term cooperation that spans months, the payout can be higher.
“I read law and I know this can be a crime, so I don’t engage with this kind of content. I also advised my friends not to do it,” he said.
Another online content creator with some 500,000 followers concurred that gambling-related sponsorships were often targeted at influencers with sizeable online followings from around the region.
“Many of the offers were linked to gambling or gaming websites catering to international users.”
She claimed that such offers were common within her influencer circles, with some content creators continuing to accept the deals because of the lucrative payouts involved, despite being aware of the possible risks.
“Yes, I got offers for such ads or jobs too, but I didn’t accept them.
“I think it is illegal to promote online gambling and many people get cheated or scammed because of such activities.
“Promoting this kind of content would also affect my image and the reputation I spent years building,” she added.
An automotive content creator with some three million followers online echoed similar concerns, saying gambling-related promotional offers were not uncommon in the industry, particularly among influencers with larger audiences.
“I’ve received such offers many times before but I never accepted them and never will.”
He added that such promotions could send the wrong message to younger followers who regularly consume social media content.
“They may see their favourite influencers promoting these platforms and think gambling is normal or acceptable,” he added.
TikTok affiliate seller and content creator Azam Hasan said he personally knew people, including friends, who had become addicted to online gambling promoted through social media platforms.
He believed there were quite a number of Malaysian social media influencers actively marketing online gambling websites.
“These influencers claim they played certain games on these websites and won thousands of ringgit. The truth is, they are simply actors giving fake testimonies.
“However, their message is powerful enough to lure youths. Some influencers claim it is not gambling but ‘just a game’ to trick customers,” he said.
“Some individuals who fell into online gambling addiction found it extremely difficult to stop.
“I personally know many who have fallen for this and are now addicted,” he said.
He urged authorities to take stricter action against those involved in promoting online gambling platforms, saying such activities could cause serious harm to families and households.
