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Read Full BioCinthia Fernández, an Argentinian social media star, dancer, and influencer, will appear before prosecutors on May 27, accused of promoting illegal betting sites on Instagram.
The newspaper Ambito reported that the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Gambling (FEJA) has ordered Fernández to attend the hearing in person.
The order follows a series of complaints from the regulatory Buenos Aires City Lottery. The regulator has started to compile reports on social media stars suspected of promoting unlicensed casino and betting sites.
Argentine law stipulates that promoting betting platforms that are not licensed to operate in any jurisdiction is punishable by three to six years in jail.
The star, who also works as a model, has 6.3 million followers on Instagram. She has previously launched family and home workout-themed YouTube channels. Her legal team is yet to make a public statement on the case.
Cinthia Fernández: Star to Face Questioning on May 27
The lottery says that Fernández shared testimonials from social media followers who thanked her for introducing them to a betting site.
Prosecutors say that messages like these “encourage gambling as a path to personal success and create false expectations.”
This could constitute violations of Buenos Aires laws aimed at preventing pathological gambling.
Prosecutors are particularly keen to speak to Fernández about an Instagram story in which she claimed to have made over $20 from playing an online casino game.
In the video, she also explained how viewers could create their own online accounts. The star also appeared to use the word “reliable” in reference to the site.
She also shared a reference code that could help viewers gain benefits or discounts on the site.
The media outlet hinted that similar probes into other influencers could be forthcoming. The lottery has sent prosecutors complaints about over 100 social media stars based in the province.
The lottery says that many social media stars have published posts that “include gambling-related content aimed at children and adolescents.”
Buenos Aires Crackdown
Buenos Aires is currently conducting a major crackdown on web-based casinos. Since September last year, city courts have ordered IP providers to block access to more than 330 illegal online gambling platforms.
As part of the crackdown, courts in the province have issued takedown orders for some 1,600 social media profiles and advertisements.
Police in the city, meanwhile, recently seized firearms and almost $1.5 million worth of cash in a raid on an underground gambling den in the district of Villa Lugano.
