The Australian media watchdog is pursuing legal measures against prominent poker providers within the country. Rhys Edward Jones, Diverse Link Pty Ltd, and Brenton Lee Buttigieg stand accused of operating illicit poker platforms, a direct infringement upon Australia’s Interactive Gambling Act of 2001.
Allegations against Jones pertain to the operation of these unauthorized poker services spanning from March 2020 to March 2021. Diverse Link is implicated in conducting comparable services from March 2021 onward. Buttigieg faces accusations of promoting these services and facilitating user registration.
The regulatory body conducted an inquiry into these websites, which functioned under various aliases, including PPPfish, Shuffle Gaming, and Redraw Poker.
The watchdog asserts that Jones and Diverse Link furnished Australians with an avenue to engage in online poker for financial gain. Participants could enroll in poker “clubs” via a mobile application and subsequently acquire chips through bank transfers or Bitcoin. These chips were then usable for poker play or convertible back into cash or Bitcoin.
The regulatory authority seeks to emphasize that individuals implicated in unlawful gambling endeavors could incur penalties reaching up to $1.7 million Australian dollars.
Businesses providing unlawful interactive wagering services within Australia are confronting substantial financial penalties reaching as high as 10 million Australian dollars, with individuals facing a significant $2 million consequence for every infringement.
The organization tasked with upholding this prohibition is remaining silent on the specifics as the matters are currently under the court’s jurisdiction.
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