Australia Hits Illegal Online Poker Operators With $24 Million Court Penalty

Federal Court delivers one of the toughest gambling enforcement rulings to date

Australia has handed down one of its largest court penalties against illegal online gambling operators, with the Federal Court ordering more than AU$24 million in fines over a network of online poker platforms that accepted Australian players despite a long-standing legal ban.

Read more Illegal Gambling Market in the EU Reaches €91.6 Billion as Tax Losses Near €23 Billion

The ruling follows a years-long investigation by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), which targeted three online poker brands — PPPfish, Shuffle Gaming and Redraw Poker. The court found the services breached the country’s Interactive Gambling Act by allowing players to compete using virtual chips that could be bought and later converted into real money.

Brisbane Poker Pty Ltd received the largest penalty at AU$15 million. Company director Rhys Edward Jones was ordered to pay AU$9 million, while Brenton Lee Buttigieg was fined AU$240,000 for his role in promoting the services and assisting the operation.

The latest judgment builds on an earlier AU$5 million penalty imposed on related company Diverse Link Pty Ltd in 2023. Combined, the legal action has now produced AU$29.24 million in sanctions.

A case years in the making

The regulator first brought the matter before the Federal Court in April 2022 after investigating how the poker platforms operated. Rather than offering traditional cash games directly, the services relied on virtual chips that players could purchase and ultimately exchange for real money, a model the court determined still fell within Australia’s prohibited online gambling framework.

In November 2025, the court concluded that Brisbane Poker and Jones had breached the Interactive Gambling Act. Buttigieg later admitted his involvement in helping facilitate those breaches before the court determined the financial penalties.

Alongside the fines, Brisbane Poker and Jones were also ordered to cover ACMA’s legal costs.

Read more Why Folarin Balogun red card ban was suspended by FIFA before USA vs. Belgium in World Cup

Pressure on illegal operators continues

The decision marks another step in Australia’s increasingly aggressive approach to illegal online gambling.

Online poker has remained prohibited since the Interactive Gambling Act came into force in 2001. Amendments introduced in 2017 significantly expanded ACMA’s enforcement powers, allowing the regulator to pursue civil penalties, seek court orders to block websites and cooperate with overseas authorities targeting offshore gambling businesses.

Those powers have been used frequently in recent years. More than 230 illegal gambling services have exited the Australian market since the tougher enforcement regime began, while internet providers have blocked access to over 1,700 illegal gambling and affiliate websites.

ACMA has argued that unlicensed gambling platforms leave Australian consumers without the protections required of licensed betting operators. While online casino-style games such as poker, roulette and blackjack remain banned, licensed companies are still permitted to offer wagering on sports and racing under state and territory licensing arrangements.

The Federal Court ruling now stands as one of the regulator’s strongest enforcement outcomes against illegal online poker businesses since the Interactive Gambling Act was introduced.

Read more Australians at Tour de France 2026: Results, times, riders, teams, schedule, stages

Source: thestraight.com.au