Editorial update — 11 October 2026. Court decision reported: 6 July 2026.
A concrete example of enforcement under the Interactive Gambling Act comes from a Federal Court proceeding concerning prohibited online poker services operated under the names PPPfish, Shuffle Gaming and Redraw Poker. ACMA published the result on 6 July 2026. This was a case about providing and promoting specific prohibited services, not a general penalty against every internet game.
Who was penalised
According to ACMA, the Court imposed $15 million on Brisbane Poker Pty Ltd, $9 million on Rhys Edward Jones and $240,000 on Brenton Lee Buttigieg. Together those orders total $24.24 million. The agency explained that the total penalties imposed across the proceedings were $29.24 million once a separate $5 million order against Diverse Link Pty Ltd from March 2023 was included. The larger figure should not be presented as a single new July 2026 order.
What the finding concerned
ACMA stated that the services allowed customers to play online poker against others using virtual chips that could be bought and sold for money. The relevant prohibited-service provisions were central to the proceedings. The Court also made restraint orders affecting named individuals. Penalties described in this notice do not establish the liability of unconnected operators or individual customers.
Why precise attribution matters
A headline about "new gambling penalties" without case names and dates would be almost content-free. This article records identified parties, amounts and the regulator's summary, with the original notice available below. It is not a list of current fines for every possible gambling-law violation.
Primary references (checked 11 October 2026):
- https://www.acma.gov.au/articles/2026-07/federal-court-sets-24-million-penalties-illegal-online-gambling-services
- https://www.acma.gov.au/about-interactive-gambling-act