There's a former Shell servo on the corner of Gower Street and Plenty Road in Preston, Melbourne, that doesn't sell Shell fuel anymore. The signage is gone. In its place, wrapped around the forecourt like a billboard you can drive into, is the branding of a subscription giveaway company.
LMCT+ has opened its first petrol station. And if founder Adrian Portelli's social media is anything to go by, servos are just the beginning. Gyms. Supermarkets. "I'll do the lot," he posted.
It's an ambitious move. But it also makes a lot of sense if you think about where the giveaway industry is heading.
The Preston site isn't just a petrol station with a logo slapped on it. LMCT+ is positioning it as a "rewards hub", where fuel discounts tie into the broader membership ecosystem. Buy petrol, earn points, get entries into draws. The pitch to members is simple: you're already paying for fuel, so why not get something extra for it?
The concept isn't totally new. Coles has been doing fuel discounts through Flybuys for years. Woolworths ran the same play with its Caltex partnership before that fell apart. Even McDonald's Monopoly has trained Australians to accept the premise that buying a Big Mac could theoretically win you a car.
The difference is the direction of travel. Those companies started as retailers and bolted on prizes. LMCT+ started with prizes and is now bolting on retail. It's the same customer loop, just built from the opposite end.
The surrounding streets in that part of Preston carry more than 40,000 vehicles a day. That's not a vanity project. That's a customer acquisition play with real foot traffic behind it.
For LMCT+ members, the value proposition gets more interesting. The platform already runs some of the biggest car and property draws in the country. Add discounted fuel on top and the membership starts to feel less like a giveaway subscription and more like a broader loyalty program. You're not just paying for a chance to win. You're getting something tangible every time you fill up.
That shift matters for the whole industry, not just LMCT+.
The subscription giveaway model has exploded in Australia over the past five years. But every operator, whether it's LMCT+, MCA, Vincere, or anyone else, faces the same challenge: at some point, you need to offer something beyond the draw itself. You can only acquire so many members through Instagram ads and Facebook campaigns before acquisition costs start eating your margins.
Physical retail is one answer. Events are another. Rewards programs are a third. The operators who figure out how to deliver real, everyday value alongside the dream of winning a prize home are the ones who'll build something lasting.
It's worth watching how regulators respond, too. The line between "trade promotion" and "gambling product" has always been a grey area in Australian consumer law. South Australia has already shown it's willing to scrutinise operators closely, with LMCT+ copping fines for running draws without the required state licence. Other states have been quieter, but as the industry grows, regulation will inevitably tighten across the board.
That's actually another reason the physical retail pivot is smart. A fuel retailer with a loyalty program looks very different to regulators than a pure giveaway platform. If the industry is heading toward tighter rules, the operators who've diversified their value proposition will be in a stronger position than those still relying entirely on prize draws to justify their membership fees.
Portelli clearly sees the writing on the wall. So do other operators building out events, partnerships, and engagement platforms beyond the core draw mechanic. The giveaway industry in Australia is worth serious money and growing fast. The companies that survive the next five years won't be the ones offering the biggest jackpot. They'll be the ones that made their membership worth paying for even if you never win.
And in the meantime, if you're filling up in Preston, you might as well earn some points for it.