The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has initiated legal action in the Federal Court against three individuals or companies for supposedly participating in unlawful online gambling activities.
The ACMA claims that all three cases involve the offering of prohibited online gambling services, initially known as “PPPfish,” later rebranded as “Shuffle Gaming,” and ultimately “Redraw Poker.”
The ACMA asserts that these brands are online poker platforms, which are prohibited under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (IGA).
The ACMA has specifically identified three entities involved in operating and promoting these services in its legal proceedings.
Rhys Edward Jones is accused of providing these prohibited online gambling services to Australians between March 2020 and March 2021, while Diverse Link Pty has been providing them since March 2021.
The ACMA has also named Brenton Lee Buttigieg, alleging his involvement in promoting and referring customers to these services.
The ACMA alleges that since March 2, 2020, Jones and Diverse Link have provided services that enabled Australians to participate in online poker for real money.
Poker enthusiasts can join poker groups through a mobile application and buy chips from independent online platforms using bank transfers or Bitcoin. These chips are added to their poker group account and utilized for poker games. Chips can be exchanged for currency or Bitcoin.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) stated that the supposed violations of the Interactive Gambling Act (IGA) carry a maximum penalty of A$1.7 million (£942,503/€1.1 million/$1.2 million) for individuals and a multiple of five that amount for businesses.
Considering that the case is pending in the courts, the ACMA indicated that they would refrain from further commentary at this time.
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