Federal Court Orders $24.24m in Penalties Over Illegal Online Poker Services
The Federal Court has ordered penalties totalling $24.24 million against the providers and a promoter of three illegal online poker services, PPPfish, Shuffle Gaming and Redraw Poker. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), which brought the case, announced the orders on 6 July 2026.
The penalties
The court imposed the following penalties under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001:
- **Brisbane Poker Pty Ltd:** $15 million;
- **Rhys Edward Jones:** $9 million;
- **Brenton Lee Buttigieg:** $240,000.
Together with the $5 million penalty ordered against Diverse Link Pty Ltd in March 2023, total penalties in the proceedings now stand at $29.24 million.
The court also restrained Jones from providing prohibited interactive gambling services, and Buttigieg from aiding or abetting them, for five years. Jones and Brisbane Poker were ordered to pay the ACMA’s legal costs.
How the services worked
The court found that the three services let members of the public play poker online against other players using virtual chips that could be bought and sold for real money. In November 2025 the Federal Court found that Jones and Brisbane Poker had provided prohibited interactive gambling services in breach of section 15(2A) of the Act. Buttigieg admitted that he aided and abetted the contravention.
According to AGB, Jones and Brisbane Poker obtained an estimated benefit of $7.2 million from the services. Buttigieg promoted them through a private Facebook group and made a profit of $44,400.
A penalty doubled for deterrence
The ACMA and Buttigieg had jointly proposed a penalty of $120,000. Justice Rangiah rejected that figure and doubled it to $240,000, citing the need for general deterrence. The decision is a reminder that agreed penalties are not binding on the court, which must be satisfied that the amount is appropriate.
Background to the case
The ACMA began the proceedings in April 2022 after investigating online poker services offered to Australians. Online poker for money has been a prohibited service under the Interactive Gambling Act since amendments that took effect in 2017, after which several international poker sites stopped serving Australian players.
ACMA Chair Nerida O’Loughlin said the outcome makes clear that offering online poker to Australians is illegal and carries serious consequences, and that the regulator will keep acting against such services.
Part of a wider push
The penalties arrived in the same week the ACMA issued its first formal warning to a social media influencer, mixed martial arts fighter Jamie Mullarkey, for promoting an offshore gambling service on Instagram. The regulator’s compliance priorities for 2026–27 include disrupting illegal gambling services and targeting people who promote them. Separately, by June 2026 the ACMA had asked internet providers to block 1,751 illegal gambling and affiliate websites since November 2019.
What it means for players
Real-money online poker, online casino games and online pokies cannot legally be offered to people in Australia, whether the operator is local or offshore. Licensed Australian providers can offer sports and race betting and lotteries under separate rules. Our guides explain whether online gambling is legal in Australia, what the Interactive Gambling Act covers and how ACMA site blocking works. For the rules and strategy of the game itself, see our casino poker guide.
Brisbane Poker Pty Ltd ($15 million), Rhys Edward Jones ($9 million) and Brenton Lee Buttigieg ($240,000), over the PPPfish, Shuffle Gaming and Redraw Poker services.
No. Real-money online poker is a prohibited interactive gambling service under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 and cannot be offered to people in Australia.
Justice Rangiah rejected the $120,000 penalty jointly proposed by the ACMA and Buttigieg and doubled it to $240,000 for general deterrence.
Sources
- ACMA: Federal Court sets $24 million in penalties for illegal online gambling services (July 2026)
- Mediaweek: Federal Court imposes $24.24 million in penalties for illegal online poker services (6 July 2026)
- AGB: Australia’s Federal Court imposes penalties over illegal online poker services (6 July 2026)
- ACMA: Latest illegal online gambling websites blocked (June 2026)
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