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A Brisbane man has been fined $9 million for running an illegal online poker platform, as another man was fined $240,000 for promoting it on Facebook and profiting from referring new players.
Rhys Edward Jones operated illegal online gambling services through the company Brisbane Poker Pty Ltd between 8 October 2020 and 10 March 2021, according to a federal court judgment by Justice Darryl Rangiah in November, with the court ordering the fines on Monday.
Players purchased poker chips through Jones and used them to gamble on the platform. Jones and the company – which he is the sole director and shareholder of – handled almost $7.3 million through the operation and made an approximate profit of $4.2 million.
Jones transferred more than $1 million to a cryptocurrency exchange provider, and Rangiah noted in his judgment this meant the profit received by Jones was likely higher.
The Australian Communication and Media Authority contacted Jones about the platform, prompting him to “phoenix” it – changing its name from PPPFish Service to the Shuffle Gaming Service, and continuing operations.
Jones was banned from providing or being associated with a prohibited interactive gambling service for five years, and ordered to pay the cost of ACMA’s proceedings.
Brisbane Poker was penalised an additional $15 million for the operation, though Rangiah said it had no assets and would now be deregistered, so its penalty was largely a deterrent to other potential offenders.
Poker player Brenton Lee Buttigieg was also fined for his involvement in the platform.
Buttigieg ran a private Facebook group, with more than 2,200 members, promoting the platforms and guiding people on how to use them.
He gave customers a referral code to use when registering with the platforms, which informed his payment from Jones and Brisbane Poker. He made a profit of approximately $44,400 through his part in the operation, and another similar one.
ACMA recommended Buttigieg be fined $120,000, but Rangiah found this would not be sufficient – labelling his conduct “deliberate and designed for profit”.
Buttigieg was fined $240,000, and also restrained from providing or being associated with a prohibited interactive gambling service for five years. He was not ordered to pay ACMA’s costs.
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