TLDR
- Australia’s Federal Court ordered more than AU$24 million in penalties against illegal online poker operators.
- Three poker brands — PPPfish, Shuffle Gaming and Redraw Poker — were found to have broken the Interactive Gambling Act.
- Brisbane Poker Pty Ltd received the largest fine at AU$15 million.
- Director Rhys Edward Jones was personally ordered to pay AU$9 million.
- Combined penalties across related cases have now reached AU$29.24 million.
Australia’s Federal Court has ordered penalties of more than AU$24 million against a network of illegal online poker platforms. The ruling targets operators who accepted Australian players despite a nationwide ban on the activity.
The case involved three poker brands: PPPfish, Shuffle Gaming and Redraw Poker. All three were found to have broken the Interactive Gambling Act.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority led the investigation. The regulator spent years building its case before taking the matter to court.
The court found the platforms let players buy virtual chips. Those chips could later be converted into real money, placing the services within Australia’s gambling laws.
Brisbane Poker Pty Ltd received the largest penalty of the group. The company was ordered to pay AU$15 million.
Company director Rhys Edward Jones was fined AU$9 million. He was found personally responsible for his role in running the operation.
Brenton Lee Buttigieg was also penalized for his part in the scheme. He received a fine of AU$240,000 for helping promote and support the poker platforms.
A Case Years in the Making
ACMA first filed the case in the Federal Court in April 2022. The investigation looked closely at how the poker platforms operated behind the scenes.
In November 2025, the court ruled that Brisbane Poker and Jones had breached the law. Buttigieg later admitted his own involvement before the financial penalties were decided.
The latest fines add to an earlier AU$5 million penalty handed down in 2023. That case involved a related company, Diverse Link Pty Ltd.
Combined, the legal action against this network has now reached AU$29.24 million. Brisbane Poker and Jones were also ordered to cover ACMA’s legal costs.
Ongoing Crackdown on Illegal Operators
Online poker has been banned in Australia since 2001 under the Interactive Gambling Act. The law was strengthened in 2017 to give ACMA stronger enforcement power.
Those updated powers let the regulator pursue civil penalties and block websites. ACMA can also work with overseas authorities to target offshore gambling businesses.
More than 230 illegal gambling services have left the Australian market since enforcement tightened. Internet providers have also blocked access to over 1,700 illegal gambling and affiliate websites.
ACMA says unlicensed platforms leave players without the protections that licensed operators must provide. Casino-style games such as poker, roulette and blackjack remain banned online in Australia.
Licensed companies can still offer betting on sports and racing. Those services operate under state and territory licensing rules.
This ruling is now one of the largest penalties ACMA has secured against illegal online poker businesses. The case shows the regulator continuing to pursue operators years after the original investigation began.
