Racing authorities have revealed that the influencer-tipster Robert Heneghan did not seek approval to record films in which he placed huge wads of cash at Cheltenham and Aintree and would be refused if he did so again in the future.
Daily Mail Sport has revealed that gambling charities are concerned about the effect on impressionable young men of Heneghan – who has built a following of close to one million on social media platforms by posting films of himself handing bookies thousands of pounds and enjoying a jet-set lifestyle.
Heneghan, whose Pro Sports Advice (PSA) firm recorded a retained profit of £1.73million in its most recently published financial results, persuaded 19-year-old world darts champion Luke Littler to appear on videos with him at Cheltenham – despite Advertising Standards Authority rules in the UK which bar anyone who is, or who appears to be, under 25 from playing a significant role in a gambling advert. There is no suggestion Littler was aware of any rule-breaking or engaged in wrongdoing.
After scores of parents told Daily Mail Sport they were concerned about Irishman Heneghan’s depiction of big-money gambling as a route to a high life, The Jockey Club told us they are committed to safe gambling and had prevented Heneghan and his team from filming on one occasion at Cheltenham, where his films secured a big spike in followers last month.
The PSA Instagram channel has a huge 551,000 followers on Instagram, plus 37,700 subscribers on YouTube and 68,100 followers on TikTok. PSA claim to have more than 15,000 members paying for their tips.
A spokesperson for The Jockey Club said no accreditation to film had been granted to Heneghan or anyone from Pro Sports Advice and that a filming crew had been refused entry to Cheltenham Racecourse on the second day of the festival in March, when they attempted to bring professional equipment onto the site.
Irish racing tipster Robert Heneghan (left) and darts star Luke Littler show off their winning tickets at the Cheltenham Festival earlier this year
Heneghan also posed with Littler’s darts rival and 2024 world champion Luke Humphries
The spokesperson said: ‘Any such request for filming of this type would be declined. We are committed to promoting gambling in a responsible and regulated way, working with our licensed bookmaker partners to support safer gambling and protecting the long-term integrity of the sport.’
Heneghan deleted a post encouraging his followers to put their money in online bookmaker Gambana, based in the Indian Ocean island nation of Comoros, when authorities said the outfit did not have a legitimate licence to operate. He does include a responsible gambling message in some of his posts. But the clips of him handing over huge wads of cash flatly contradict those messages.
The Jockey Club’s website states that racegoers may not bring professional cameras or filming equipment into meets, nor make videos or photos available ‘for commercial purposes’.
Racecourses like Cheltenham and Aintree face logistical challenges in policing content filmed during race meets, because of the ease with which high-quality films can be shot on mobile phones, especially on days when tens of thousands of people are on site.
The posting of content for commercial use by individuals, like Heneghan, who have not applied for official accreditation is a contravention of media rights protocols managed by Racecourse Media Group, the umbrella media rights organisation co-owned by The Jockey Club and racecourses.
Also of concern to the parents and gambling charities we have spoken to is the appearance of Littler alongside Heneghan. At Cheltenham, the darts star was filmed celebrating alongside Heneghan and hugging him when The Mourne Rambler, a horse Heneghan backed with a £16,000 antepost bet laid in February, won its race.
‘Eleven years I’ve been doing this professionally and you’re still not following me?’ 27-year-old Heneghan tells prospective followers in the same clip, liked 20,000 times on Instagram and shared nearly 200 times.
Littler and his darts rival Luke Humphries were also filmed for another Pro Sports Advice social media post at Cheltenham, in which each picked a horse for the tipster to place a £1,000 bet on, with any winnings going to charity.
The Jockey Club has told us that it had prevented Heneghan and his team from filming on one occasion at Cheltenham Racecourse, where he secured a big spike in followers last month
Heneghan with Humphries at Cheltenham this year, cheering on one of his tips
A spokesperson for Littler told Daily Mail Sport: ‘For the avoidance of doubt, Luke has no business association or promotional relationship with Pro Sports Advice or Robert Heneghan.’
But mainstream betting firms are astonished by Littler’s validation of Heneghan, even if there is no ‘business association’. Even Paddy Power, sponsor of the World Darts Championships, have been unable to use him to promote their products because of his age.
Littler’s appearance in the videos has been drawn to the attention of the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). The regulator took action in 2023 after an Instagram post for freebetsdotcom, a site run by iGaming outfit XLMedia which collated betting offers from other betting providers, broke the rules by featuring an image of Manchester United midfielder Mason Mount, who was under 25 years of age at the time.
A post on the Instagram page of Thebettingman, a gambling advice service, was also found by the ASA to have broken gambling ad rules by featuring someone under 25.
We have also made multiple approaches to Heneghan, asking for comment, as well as to the Dublin-based legal practice which has represented him, asking that our inquiry be put to him as a matter of public interest.
We received no response from Heneghan. The law firm told us that they only acted for him in connection with a defamation case and that ‘our retainer in respect thereof is at an end’.
In a letter of response to one parent who has expressed concern about Heneghan, seen by Daily Mail Sport, Cheltenham Racecourse chief executive Guy Lavender states: ‘We continue to review how our policies apply in an evolving digital landscape, particularly with the rise of social media content creation.’
The parent tells Lavender he is concerned about the effect of videos like Heneghan’s, in which placing huge sums of cash is glorified as a possible route to a life of private jets and riches, on young men.
Cheltenham Racecourse chief executive Guy Lavender (right) told a concerned parent that they will be raising the issues with the Gambling Commission
Mainstream betting firms are astonished by Littler’s validation of Heneghan, even if there is no ‘business association’
Lavender replies: ‘On the wider issue of gambling promotion, particularly involving younger individuals, we share your concern. This is an area we treat with the utmost seriousness.
‘We will be raising the points you have highlighted with the appropriate regulatory bodies, including the Gambling Commission, and would also encourage you to do the same should you wish to provide them with your evidence directly.’
On his Instagram account in recent weeks, Heneghan has been telling his followers that he is turning his attentions to the World Cup and that he is sharing his ‘biggest bet of all time’ alongside a bet slip with a $60,000 stake at 5-1 odds.
It will be his biggest such bet of the year, he says, encouraging followers to pay up for one of his betting services for more information. Membership fees range from £8.50 a month to £64 a month, with a £3,500 lifetime membership also on offer.
