“Adrian Portelli made history last week on The Block when he dropped a staggering $15.03million on all five Phillip Island properties.”, — write: www.dailymail.co.uk
But now there is talk that the notorious bidder has not quite finished with TV after all.
Insiders have revealed that the 35-year-old billionaire is in discussion with Nine’s network rivals about getting his own show.
‘He could easily produce and host a renovation type show of his very own,’ a TV network source told New Idea on Saturday.
Among the formats being discussed is a reality show ‘similar’ to Channel Seven’s Dream Home hosted by Chris Brown, claimed the insider.
The source added that Portelli’s LMCT+ giveaway business was ‘built’ for television.
‘He is TV’s magic man right now and will be in hot demand as networks look to bolster their lineups for the new year,’ they said.
According to the source Channel 10 are looking to launch a brand new life style show, while Seven could out to revamp Dream Home.
And the insider says that Portelli would be ideal casting for both networks.
‘Adrian is a very smart businessman and in the coming months he’ll likely be entering negotiations with all major TV networks to secure something big,’ the source said.
They continued: ‘He has a brilliant eye and understanding of what audiences and Australian’s want and so he’s a very valuable talent.’
It comes after Portelli was recently accused of exploiting a legal ‘loophole’ to allow his company to give away all five houses from the 2024 season of The Block.
Announcing his plans to Facebook Portelli said he would be making the lavish pads available to a lucky winner via his LMCT+ company.
But the generous gesture was met with the accusation that Portelli was exploiting a legal ‘loophole’ in his giveaway plan.
The Guardian has accused Portelli and his prize giveaway business of exploiting a ‘loophole’ to be allowed to give away ‘$70 million in prizes’, including the Phillip Island properties from the Channel Nine reality show.
The publication pointed to a video Portelli posted online in February, in which he claimed he was told by an ‘unspecified gaming commission’ when he first started LMCT+ that the company was legally unable to raffle cars.
‘It was at that pivotal moment,’ he said in the video. ‘I could have thrown it all in, [but] I’m like what happens if I just gave the car away to one of my members that bought the software and then anyone that’s bought the software, I give the car to them.’
‘So 10 minutes later I call back the gaming commission and I’m like, “hey what happens if I gave the car away to one of my customers?” And she’s like “yeah, that works”.’
Portelli added that he then stopped using the word ‘raffle’.
‘It’s not a loophole, it’s a legal way to give away a car,’ he said.
The publication stated that only not-for-profit organiations are able to conduct lotteries in Australia.
Companies, meanwhile, are able to run trade promotions which are subject to state regulation as long as entry is free or in exchange for goods or services.
LMCT+ offers goods and services in the form of membership that offers discounts at selected stores, as well as access to prize draws in its rewards club.
In the case of The Block giveaway, LMCT+ is giving members the chance to win the entire Block Phillip Island Resort with five fully furnished luxury homes or take home $8 million in tax-free cash.
The promotion also offers one-off packages, ranging from $10 for one entry to $500 for 500 entries.
What the company is doing is above board, with a Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) spokesperson telling the Guardian that after investigating complaints about LMCT+ found none ‘resulted in findings against the company under Victorian legislation’.
Similarly, a spokesperson for the NSW Fair Trading Commission, which investigated the company in 2022 and 2023, found no evidence that LMCT+ was in breach of the law.
The publication revealed that an investigation into LMCT+ was currently underway by South Australia’s Consumer and Business Services.
Following the record-breaking Block auction on Sunday, Portelli announced the massive resort giveaway on Facebook.
‘Under new management! And as mayor of Portelli town, I would like to announce a world first. LET’S GIVE AWAY A FKN RESORT!’ Portelli captioned his post on Facebook.
‘1 Giveaway – 1 Prize – Winner takes the whole resort OR $8,000,000 instant Tax-Free Cash instead! Let the game begin.’.’
The ‘rewards club’ Portelli has made his billions from sees his customers pay for different tiers of membership to receive a number of entries in luxury giveaways.
Portelli, who became a household name after his high-profile purchases on previous seasons, is no stranger to turning Block homes into major publicity stunts.
He first raised eyebrows in 2022, arriving at Omar and Oz’s auction in a yellow Lamborghini, which earned him the nickname Mr Lambo.
His $4.5million bid on the pad was pipped by Danny Wallis, with Portelli eventually picking up Sharon and Ankur’s house after the auction for $4.5million.
After fending off accusations that he was a dummy bidder – there to drive up prices – Portelli returned in 2023, when he bought three houses, spending $12.4million in total.
His company, LMCT+, has frequently raffled off properties from the show, including last year’s $5million purchase of Steph and Gian’s winning home.
Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Portelli for comment.