Billionaire Adrian Portelli has been charged by authorities in South Australia, accused of running an illegal lottery.
Portelli faces nine counts of running/aiding the running of an illegal lottery, and his company LMCT+ faces 10 counts of the same charge.
The alleged offenses are said to have taken place between January 29 last year and May 16 this year.
Portelli responded this evening with a message aimed at South Australians, along with a photo of her holding her child.
“It’s okay SA, we still love you,” Portelli said in a post on the LMCT+ Instagram account.
“Your Gambling Commissioner won’t let you win big, life-changing prizes, so instead I’ve decided to launch an exclusive, DAILY $1000 cash giveaway for you guys.
“We still love you and I’ll be sure to visit you to give out more grocery vouchers,” he added with a two-hands-making-a-heart emoji.
The promotions guru and property investor made waves earlier this year when he bought all five homes on offer in the The block 2024 auction day.
LMCT+ charges monthly fees for shopping discounts, with membership including monthly withdrawals.
A huge crowd gathered before the giveaway started, with some people lining up from 4am in Penrith and Fairfield West.
The billionaire bidder first made a name for himself as Block royalty after blowing $16.65 million for four Block homes in 2022 and 2023.
Portelli is due in court on January 15.