The Billion-Dollar Bowser: Is LMCT+ Building a Petrol Empire or a Legal Shield?

Image 1: opening night party at LMCT+ Petrol at Plenty Rd, Preston on 22 April 2026.

Firstly.

I’m not anti-billionaire or anti-rich, work hard reap the rewards. Musk is my man and most think he’s a dick for some reason (hard to get most to explain why).
I love a good law skirting, laws and rules are made to be stretched and loopholed.
Why do you need to be registered or certified or whatever to run a gambling or raffle? Why can only tattslotto or charities or whoever is worthy allowed to run one but I can’t? Sounds like government overstepping BS.
"Oh but gotta protect the people" / well the government isn’t my dad. Let us fend for ourselves a bit more, no?
Yes, if something is on sale that can kill us such as lead paint or asbestos maybe the government can regulate that but I don’t need them to regulate every single facet of our lives.
I think Portelli and his fans can be dicks sometimes. But often they are right. Just like how I’m a dick sometimes and often right.

I’ve enjoyed the opening of the first LMCT+ Petrol station in Preston the last few days. Live less than 300m away. [1]

I have no vested interest in cheap fuel. I’ve got a Tesla and Ryobi one stuff for the garden. I look like a Classic Preston Greens supporter but aren’t.

If you were there for the launch of LMCT+ Petrol on Plenty Rd this week, it was a bit loose. It wasn’t just a line for fuel, it was a party for the bros.

I’ve got some photos of burnouts and energy drink cans all around, and for the last few nights have had late night revving and busy streets. But good on em. [1] It’s hectic, but it’s his brand, high energy and no cares. People power.

Definitely Portelli has skirted the law on trade promos and made money. Love it. He’s found something the people want. And he’s delivered. Great businessman. Great PR team too. He can do anything and he’s in the media. Smart.

But he’s been canned in SA as they’ve said the trade promotion he is running isn’t real, can’t come from primary revenue being something not tangible or some such. Sure his lawyers can explain more. [2]

And the laws from Vic and NSW are up for review this year. And they’re hinting that these “unregulated raffles” promoted on socials are on the hit list. [3]

So enter petrol. He appeared to grab this site before the Iran situation. But petrol can give him a legitimate trade. And he has plans for a lot of stations. Roll out what the 50-100 he says will generate a lot of revenue and maybe make him a legit trade offering legit trade promos. Offer people a real reward for being a member, being wholesale fuel. Like Costco, they’re legit no?

Image 3: before it was LMCT+ Petrol it was Shell. Before then it was Liberty. My photo from 21 Apr 2020 when fuel was cheaper than the 99.9c promo.

Yeah he’s doing the 99.9c fuel now, and losing what $1 something a litre. Said on his Insta reels that he’s losing $20k a day (seems a bit low?). It’s cost him money. But buys him PR and into the news cycle and makes him look like a good guy.

Does he do it from the goodness of his heart? Probably a bit, he feels like he’s giving, but he knows long term it’s a money maker. It ain’t 99.9c a litre forever. Soon it’s “wholesale” cost. And then the bleeding will stop. The petrol station will break even and he’ll make more from memberships. Win win. And maybe beat the trade promo rulings.

So classic strategy to make himself look like a people’s champ offering legit savings on a tangible product when regulation updates are coming? Hell yeah he’s all over it. And he looks like a genius versus the law.

The do gooders, and media, are complaining that he should pay for police at the site [4]. He says he’s paid over $100m in tax (probably mostly GST let’s be real) and they can bloody pay. And he’s right about that he shouldn’t pay for the police. He paid for traffic control. Informed council and police. If police need involved, we all pay our taxes and should expect police to be available.

If they are too busy chasing people committing crimes whilst out on bail, maybe we should fix that.

Just like how I believe Melbourne Victory and the like shouldn’t be punished with huge police costs. Dictated by the police. So they get to choose how much overtime should be paid by the “socca hooligans”. [5]

So summary. Maybe he’s found a way to protect his business. Good on him. Rather than regulate us more. Maybe the government can open it up. So the next person doesn’t have to skirt the laws. Or open petrol stations. To run a raffle.

Let’s see how the updated regulations play out.

And how LMCT+ grows or doesn’t over the next few years. God speed to Adrian and his business.

But how about the government has a look at tobacco tax and the black market that exists solely due to over-taxation? Nah let’s target Portelli and those who volunteer to pay to enter his raffles (sorry trade promotions).

It’s funny though. While the media bitches about it and the government spends months trying to figure out how to fine Portelli for giving away a house, we’ve got actual tobacco shops in Preston, Thornbury and probably every other suburb in Melbourne being firebombed in the middle of the night. [6] We’ve got criminals out on bail committing crime sprees every second day because apparently punishing crims isn’t done down here. [7]

And then you have the "User Pays" police cost thing on the front page of the paper, where the cops are charging small businesses and sports clubs hundreds of thousands to have an event. [5]

Maybe if they stopped worrying about who is winning a Lambo and started worrying about the actual crime on our doorstep, we’d be better off.

ojm

The Billion-Dollar Bowser: Is LMCT+ Building a Petrol Empire or a Legal Shield?

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