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.