The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is taking legal actions against several operators over allegations of non-compliance with section 15 (2A) of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (IGA). The civil penalty proceedings launched by the regulator are taken to the Federal Court, with these actions being a part of the ACMA’s extensive investigation into illegal online gambling operations.
The ACMA has been taking different steps to regulate the gambling industry in Australia, with the regulator blocking 426 black market gambling websites ever since November 2019. Now, the regulator is targeting two major poker websites that are well-known among locals. The reasoning behind the watchdog’s legal actions is the operators allegedly offering illegal gambling services to Australians.
Two Major Poker Individuals to Possibly Face Financial Penalties Due to Allegedly Offering Illegal Gambling
The ACMA is taking legal actions against Rhys Edward Jones who was allegedly providing illegal gambling for the period between March 2020 and March 2021. Diverse Link Pty Ltd, which is a current provider of said activities and has been offering the alleged illegal services since March 2021 is also targeted by the ACMA.
The second personality related to poker that is a subject of the ACMA’s legal actions is Brenton Lee Buttigieg. He was actively promoting the aforementioned services to customers, often referring them to the alleged illegal gambling activities.
The legal action is a result of a thorough investigation by the ACMA, looking into the illegal gambling activities that were originally offered under the name “PPPfish” which was later changed to “Shuffle Gaming” and then was yet again rebranded to “Redraw Poker”. According to ACMA, the services that were provided fall under the category of online poker services which are classified as illegal gambling activities under section 5 of the IGA.
The ACMA claims that since 2 March 2020, the services provided by Jones until March 2021 were allowing Australians to play poker online and wager real money. Allegedly, from March 2021 until now, Diverse Link has been offering the same type of unlawful gambling services.
The online poker service had players join poker clubs via a mobile app and buy chips for their wagers from different websites, paying via bitcoin or bank transfers for them. The purchased chips are added to players’ poker accounts and can be used for real-money wagers. Players are also allowed to convert the chips in their accounts into money or bitcoin.
ACMA Takes Serious Actions Against Illegal Gambling Activities in Australia
Being the authority responsible for regulating the gambling industry in Australia, the ACMA is also in charge of imposing the penalties for the provision or the advertising of unlawful online gambling services. The alleged violations impose a maximum financial penalty of up to AU$1.665 million per misconduct for an individual. Meanwhile, companies that violate the IGA must pay five times the penalty for individuals.
The ACMA is most definitely taking constant actions to ensure a safe gambling environment for Australians. Just a few weeks ago, the watchdog requested ISPs to block more offshore gambling websites as well as affiliated websites that operate illegally in Australia. The said operators and affiliates include Au Online Casino, Australian Casino, CasinoAus, Ninja Spins, Pokies Online Casino, and Pokies Parlour.
- Author
Daniel Williams
