Adrian Portelli has been accused of exploiting a ‘loophole’ to allow his company to give away the five houses for the 2024 season of The Block.
Portelli, 35, made history last Sunday night when he snapped up all of Block’s Phillip Island homes for a staggering $15.03 million during the finale.
Following the record-breaking auction, the billionaire announced on Facebook that he would be giving away all the homes in a “resort giveaway” through his company LMCT+.
The Guardian has accused Portelli and his awards business of exploiting a “loophole” so he could give away “$70 million in prizes”, including the Channel Nine reality show’s Phillip Island properties.
The publication pointed to a video Portelli posted online in February, in which he claimed that an “unspecified gaming commission” when he started LMCT+ told him the company couldn’t legally raffle off cars.
“It was at that crucial moment,” he said in the video. “I could have included everything, (but) I wonder what would happen if I just gave the car to one of my members who bought the software and then whoever bought the software, I gave the car.”
Adrián Portelli has been accused of exploiting a legal ‘loophole’ to allow his company to give away the five houses for the 2024 season of The Block.
‘So 10 minutes later I called the gaming commission and said, “Hey, what if I give the car to one of my clients?” And she says “yeah, that works.”
Portelli added that he then stopped using the word ‘raffle’.
“It’s not a legal loophole, it’s a legal way to give a car,” he said.
The publication states that only non-profit organizations can run lotteries in Australia.
Companies, for their part, can carry out commercial promotions subject to state regulation as long as entry is free or in exchange for goods or services.
LMCT+ offers goods and services in the form of a membership that offers discounts at selected stores, as well as access to prize draws in its rewards club.
In the case of The Block giveaway, LMCT+ is offering members the chance to win the Block Phillip Island Resort complete with five fully furnished luxury homes or take home $8 million in tax-free cash.
The promotion also offers unique packages, ranging from $10 for one entry to $500 for 500 entries.
What the company is doing is legal, and a spokesperson for the Victorian Gaming and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) told The Guardian that after investigating complaints about LMCT+ it found none “that gave rise to any conclusions.” against the company under Victorian law.
The Guardian has accused Portelli and his awards business of exploiting a “loophole” so he could give away “$70 million in prizes”, including the Channel Nine reality show’s Phillip Island properties.
The publication pointed to a video Portelli posted online in February in which he claimed that an “unspecified gaming commission” when he started LMCT+ told him the company couldn’t legally raffle off cars. Also in the photo, Maddy and Charlotte, winners of Block 2024.
Similarly, a spokesperson for the New South Wales Fair Trading Commission, which investigated the company in 2022 and 2023, found no evidence that LMCT+ broke the law.
The publication revealed that South Australian Business and Consumer Services was carrying out an investigation into LMCT+.
Following Sunday’s record-breaking block auction, Portelli announced the resort’s massive giveaway on Facebook.
‘Under new management! And as mayor of the city of Portelli, I would like to announce a world first. WE’RE GIVING AWAY A FKN RESORT!’ Portelli captioned his Facebook post.
‘1 drawing – 1 prize – Winner takes the entire resort OR $8,000,000 in instant tax-free cash! Let the game begin.
Accompanying the announcement was a photo of Portelli posing next to one of his luxury cars inside the Block complex he just purchased.
‘Under new management! And as mayor of the city of Portelli, I would like to announce a world first. WE’RE GIVING AWAY A FKN RESORT!’ Adrian captioned his Facebook post.
‘1 drawing – 1 prize – Winner takes the entire resort OR $8,000,000 in instant tax-free cash! Let the game begin.
Portelli said in the video that he later stopped using the word ‘raffle’ and added: ‘It’s not a loophole, it’s a legal way to give away a car.’
Portelli, 35, made history on Sunday night when he snapped up all of Block’s Phillip Island homes for a staggering $15.03 million during the finale.
Following the record-breaking auction, the billionaire announced on Facebook that he would be giving away all the homes in a ‘resort giveaway’ through his company LMCT+.
‘Under new management! And as mayor of the city of Portelli, I would like to announce a world first. WE’RE GIVING AWAY A FKN RESORT!’ Adrian captioned his Facebook post.
‘1 drawing – 1 prize – Winner takes the entire resort OR $8,000,000 in instant tax-free cash! Let the game begin.
Accompanying the announcement was a photo of Portelli posing next to one of his luxury cars inside the Block complex he just purchased.
He was all smiles as he leaned against his vehicle holding an LMCT+ banner with a “No Vacancies” sign artfully captured in the image.
The Portelli ‘rewards club’ has made billions by watching its customers pay for different levels of membership to receive a series of entries into luxury gifts.
Portelli, who became a household name after his high-profile purchases in previous seasons, is no stranger to turning Block’s homes into major publicity stunts.
He first attracted attention in 2022, when he arrived at the Omar and Oz auction in a yellow Lamborghini, earning him the nickname Mr Lambo.
His $4.5 million bid for the pad was outbid by Danny Wallis, and Portelli ultimately took Sharon and Ankur’s home after the auction for $4.5 million.
After defending himself against accusations that he was a fake bidder (there to drive up prices), Portelli returned in 2023, when he bought three houses and spent $12.4 million in total.
Their company, LMCT+, has frequently raffled off properties from the show, including purchasing Steph and Gian’s winning home for $5 million last year.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Portelli for comment.