Revealed: Pro Sports Advice tipster Robert Heneghan barred from filming at racecourses over videos of ‘wads of cash’ – as gambling charities and parents raise concerns about Luke Littler’s role

Social media influencer Robert Heneghan has not sought approval to record films for which he has bankrolled huge sums of money at Cheltenham and Aintree and will be refused if he does so again in the future, racing authorities have revealed.

Daily Mail Sports It has emerged that gambling charities are concerned about the impact Heneghan, who has nearly a million followers by posting films of himself giving out thousands of pounds to punters and enjoying his jet-setting lifestyle on social media platforms, is having on impressionable young men.

Heneghan, whose firm Pro Sports Advice (PSA) recorded retained profits of £1.73 million in its latest published financial results, persuaded 19-year-old world darts champion Luke Littler to appear in videos with him at Cheltenham – despite rules from the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority banning anyone under 25, or appearing to play a major role in a gambling advert. There is no suggestion that Littler was aware of any infractions or wrongdoing.

After numerous parents told Daily Mail Sports Stating that they were concerned about Irish Heneghan’s portrayal of big money gambling as the path to a luxurious life, the Jockey Club said that they were determined to gamble safely and prevented Heneghan and his team from filming in Cheltenham, where their movie had a huge increase in the number of followers last month.

PSA Instagram channel has a whopping 551,000 followers on Instagram as well as 37,700 subscribers on YouTube and 68,100 followers on TikTok. PSA claims to have more than 15,000 members who pay for their tips.

A spokesman for the Jockey Club told Heneghan or anyone at Pro Sports Advice that no accreditation had been given to film and that on the second day of the festival in March, a filming crew trying to bring professional equipment to the course was denied entry to Cheltenham Racecourse.

Heneghan also posed with Littler’s darts rival and 2024 world champion Luke Humphries.

The spokesman said: ‘Any requests for such footage will be refused. ‘We are committed to promoting gambling in a responsible and orderly way, working with our licensed betting partners to support safer gambling and protect the long-term integrity of sport.’

Heneghan deleted a post encouraging his followers to deposit their money with Gambana, an online betting company based in the Indian Ocean island of Comoros, after authorities said the company did not have a legitimate license to operate. He includes the message of responsible gambling in some of his posts. However, images of him handing over large wads of money clearly contradict these messages.

The Jockey Club’s website states that race participants cannot bring professional cameras or filming equipment to the events or provide videos or photographs for ‘commercial purposes’.

Racecourses such as Cheltenham and Aintree face logistical challenges in policing filmed content during race events due to the ease with which high-quality films can be shot via mobile phones, especially on days when tens of thousands of people are on course.

The publication of content for commercial use by individuals who have not applied for official accreditation, such as Heneghan, contravenes media rights protocols governed by Racecourse Media Group, the umbrella media rights organization jointly owned by the Jockey Club and the racecourses.

Littler’s appearance with Heneghan also concerns parents and gambling charities we spoke to. At Cheltenham, the darts star was pictured celebrating with Heneghan and hugging him when Morne Rambler, the horse Heneghan backed with a £16,000 front post bet in February, won his race.

‘I’ve been doing this professionally for eleven years and you still don’t follow me?’ In the same clip, Heneghan, 27, tells potential followers that she has been liked 20,000 times and shared nearly 200 times on Instagram.

Littler and darts rival Luke Humphries were also filmed for another Pro Sports Advice social media post at Cheltenham; where they each chose a horse for the tipster to place a £1,000 bet on, with all winnings donated to charity.

The Jockey Club tells us it once stopped Heneghan and his team from filming at Cheltenham Racecourse, where he had a huge following in the last month.

Heneghan cheers on one of Humphries’ tips at Cheltenham this year

Littler’s spokesman said: Daily Mail Sports: ‘For the avoidance of doubt, Luke has no business or promotional involvement with Pro Sports Advice or Robert Heneghan.’

But mainstream betting firms are stunned by Littler’s endorsement of Heneghan, even without any ‘business partnership’. Even Paddy Power, sponsor of the World Darts Championship, could not use him to promote their products due to his age.

Littler’s appearance in the videos attracted the attention of the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). The regulator took action in 2023 after freebetsdotcom, a site run by iGaming company XLMedia that compiles betting offers from other betting providers, broke the rules by featuring an image of Manchester United midfielder Mason Mount, who was under 25 at the time.

A post on the Instagram page of Thebettingman, a gambling advice service, was also found by the ASA to have breached gambling advertising rules by featuring someone under 25.

We have also contacted Heneghan several times, sought his comments and asked the Dublin-based law firm representing him to forward our investigation to him in the public interest.

We did not receive any response from Heneghan. The law firm told us that they had only acted on its behalf in connection with a defamation case and that ‘our retainer in this matter has ceased’.

In a response letter to a parent who expressed concerns about Heneghan, Daily Mail SportsCheltenham Racecourse CEO Guy Lavender says: ‘We continue to review how our policies apply to the evolving digital landscape, particularly with the rise of social media content creation.’

Parent tells Lavender he is concerned about the impact on young men of videos like Heneghan’s, in which investing large sums of money is glorified as a possible route to a life of private jets and riches.

Cheltenham Racecourse chairman Guy Lavender (right) told a worried parent they would refer the issues to the Gambling Commission

Mainstream betting firms stunned by Littler’s endorsement of Heneghan, even without any ‘collaboration’

Lavender replies: ‘We share your concerns about the wider issue of the promotion of gambling, particularly involving young individuals. This is an area we take extremely seriously.

‘We will pass on the points you have made to the relevant regulators, including the Gambling Commission, and would encourage you to do the same if you would like to present your evidence directly to them.’

Heneghan has been telling followers on his Instagram account in recent weeks that he has turned his attention to the World Cup and placed his ‘biggest bet of all time’, a $60,000 betting slip at 5-1 odds.

He says it will be the biggest bet of the year and encourages his followers to pay one of the betting services for more information. Membership fees range from £8.50 to £64 per month, with a £3,500 lifetime membership also offered.