Melbourne billionaire Adrian Portelli, known for high-profile giveaways including properties from the reality TV show The Block, will plead not guilty to nine charges of assisting in the conduct of an unlawful lottery. The case was heard at the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Wednesday morning.
Portelli and his company, Xclusive Tech Pty Ltd (trading as LMCT+), face a total of 19 charges brought by South Australia's Consumer and Business Services (CBS). The company itself is charged with 10 counts of conducting or assisting in an unlawful lottery. The alleged offences occurred between 29 January 2023 and 16 May 2024.
According to court documents, the major prizes included properties from The Block, such as a house in Gisborne, Victoria, valued at approximately $3 million, with cash alternatives offered. Another Block property valued at $2.9 million and a Gold Coast property worth $1.3 million were also among the prizes. The lottery model involved a subscription-based 'rewards club' where members gained entries to win cars and properties, classified as a trade promotion lottery.
Ben Lodge, representing both Portelli and Xclusive Tech, stated that the matter is contested and requested a pre-trial conference to expedite proceedings. 'Our instructions are that the matter is contested and we are keen to progress the matter to trial as soon as we can,' Lodge told the court.
The charges stem from an investigation by CBS into the legality of the giveaways, which allegedly involved an element of chance without the required lottery licence in South Australia. Portelli had previously purchased all properties from the latest season of The Block, but the winner opted for an $8 million cash prize instead.
