Racing authorities have told influencer-tipster Robert Heneghan he did not seek approval to record promotional films featuring huge wads of cash at Cheltenham and Aintree, and that his filming team would be refused if it happens again. The row has intensified
Robert Heneghan built his online following by showing himself placing big money bets and handing cash to bookmakers. Now, racing authorities say he didn’t ask permission to film the kind of content that helped fuel his rise — and they’ve warned he won’t be allowed back if it continues.
Cheltenham and Aintree authorities have revealed that Heneghan. an Irish tipster who trades under Pro Sports Advice (PSA). did not seek approval to record videos in which he placed huge wads of cash at Cheltenham and Aintree. The message is blunt: if Heneghan or his team try again in the future, they would be refused.
The issue isn’t only about what’s on screen. Gambling charities and parents say they’re worried about the impression this kind of display of wealth and betting plays on young men. Heneghan has built a following close to one million across social media platforms by posting films of himself handing bookies thousands of pounds and enjoying a jet-set lifestyle.
His influence is now tangled in darts, too. Heneghan persuaded 19-year-old world darts champion Luke Littler to appear on videos with him at Cheltenham. His clips have landed at a time when UK Advertising Standards Authority rules bar anyone who is. or 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.
The Jockey Club says it has been taking steps it believes are necessary for safe, regulated gambling. After scores of parents contacted Daily Mail Sport describing their concerns. The Jockey Club told MISRYOUM they are committed to safe gambling. It said it had prevented Heneghan and his team from filming on one occasion at Cheltenham. In March. the racecourse refused a filming crew entry on the second day of the festival when they tried to bring professional equipment onto the site.
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.
The spokesperson added: ‘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.’
On the record, Heneghan’s PSA business shows both scale and reach. PSA’s Instagram channel has 551,000 followers, plus 37,700 subscribers on YouTube and 68,100 followers on TikTok. PSA claims it has more than 15. 000 members paying for its tips. and its most recently published financial results show PSA recorded a retained profit of £1.73million.
Heneghan has also deleted a post encouraging his followers to put their money in online bookmaker Gambana. based in the Indian Ocean island nation of Comoros. after authorities said the outfit did not have a legitimate licence to operate. In some of his posts he includes a responsible gambling message. but the clips of him handing over huge wads of cash are said to contradict those messages.
The problem, The Jockey Club’s own rules suggest, is about more than safety messages. Its website says racegoers may not bring professional cameras or filming equipment into meets, nor make videos or photos available ‘for commercial purposes’.
Race meetings present practical challenges as well. Cheltenham and Aintree face logistical hurdles in policing content filmed during race meets because high-quality videos can be shot quickly on mobile phones, particularly on days when tens of thousands of people are on site.
And there’s a media rights angle layered over it all. Posting content for commercial use by individuals who have not applied for official accreditation is described as a contravention of media rights protocols managed by Racecourse Media Group. the umbrella media rights organisation co-owned by The Jockey Club and racecourses.
For parents and gambling charities, the details that push this from “sporting spectacle” into “youth concern” are the cash displays and the presence of a high-profile youngster.
At Cheltenham. Littler 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. In the same clip. a 27-year-old Heneghan tells prospective followers: ‘Eleven years I’ve been doing this professionally and you’re still not following me?’ That post was liked 20. 000 times on Instagram and shared nearly 200 times.
Heneghan also posed with Littler’s darts rival and 2024 world champion Luke Humphries.
Littler and Humphries were also shown in another PSA social media post at Cheltenham. In it, each picked a horse for the tipster to place a £1,000 bet on, with any winnings going to charity.
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.’
Even so, mainstream betting firms are said to be astonished by Littler’s validation of Heneghan, despite the lack of a business relationship. The piece adds that even Paddy Power, sponsor of the World Darts Championships, has been unable to use him to promote products because of his age.
The concern has now reached the Advertising Standards Authority. Littler’s appearance in the videos has been drawn to the regulator’s attention. The ASA took action in 2023 after an Instagram post for freebetsdotcom. run by iGaming outfit XLMedia. 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 broken gambling ad rules by featuring someone under 25.
Heneghan’s side of the story has not landed in full view. Approaches were made to Heneghan for comment. and the Dublin-based legal practice representing him was asked to pass the inquiry on. MISRYOUM says there was no response from Heneghan. The law firm told Daily Mail Sport it only acted for him in connection with a defamation case and that ‘our retainer in respect thereof is at an end’.
Cheltenham Racecourse chief executive Guy Lavender has also responded directly to a concerned parent. In a letter of response seen by Daily Mail Sport. Lavender said: ‘We continue to review how our policies apply in an evolving digital landscape. particularly with the rise of social media content creation.’.
The parent had told Lavender they were concerned about videos like Heneghan’s, where placing huge sums of cash is glorified as a possible route to a life of private jets and riches, affecting young men.
Lavender replied: ‘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.’
He added: ‘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.’
While the warnings and scrutiny deepen, Heneghan continues pushing his own next move. On his Instagram account in recent weeks. he has been telling followers 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. He says it will be his biggest such bet of the year and encourages followers to pay up for one of his betting services for more information.
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Robert Heneghan Pro Sports Advice PSA Cheltenham Aintree Luke Littler gambling advertising rules Advertising Standards Authority Jockey Club Gambling Commission safe gambling media rights