The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is looking to deal a significant blow to the illegal gambling market, issuing warnings and penalties to providers and influencers as part of a flurry of recent measures.
This included a formal warning handed to mixed martial arts fighter and UFC veteran Jamie Mullarkey by the ACMA for breaches of Australia’s online gambling laws.
In addition, penalties totalling AUS$24.24m (approximately €14.7m) were imposed by the country’s Federal Court on three providers and promoters of prohibited online poker services, operating under the names PPPfish, Shuffle Gaming and Redraw Poker.
Warning to Mullarkey
Regarding Mullarkey, an ACMA investigation discovered that the MMA fighter promoted an illegal offshore gambling service in sponsored posts on his Instagram account in 2025.
His profile also referred to the sponsorship deal, ‘including a link to the gambling site and posts with promotional hashtags referring to the service’.
The promotion of illegal gambling services is prohibited in Australia, including posts or live streams, sharing links or running promotional giveaways in relation to those services.
Such promotion by individuals can result in civil penalties of up to $59,400, while those who facilitate access to illegal gambling services, including by providing hyperlinks or directing users to those services, may face penalties of up to $2.475m.
Carolyn Lidgerwood, Member of the ACMA, noted: “Athletes and social media personalities with large online followings can have significant influence over their audiences and can encourage the use of illegal gambling services.
“This is the first enforcement action we have taken against an influencer for breaching online gambling rules, and it should serve as a warning to others.
“In this case, the ACMA issued a formal warning considering the specific circumstances of the matter. This included that Mr Mullarkey ended the sponsorship arrangement promptly, cooperated with the investigation and quickly removed the material. Mr Mullarkey also accepted responsibility for his conduct and expressed genuine remorse.
“However, all influencers need to be aware that promoting illegal online gambling sites is against the law and can result in significant penalties.”
Federal court ruling
Federal court orders handed the following pecuniary penalties for contraventions of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (IGA):
- Brisbane Poker Pty Ltd – $15m
- Rhys Edward Jones – $9m
- Brenton Lee Buttigieg – $240,000
As a result, the ACMA stated that, including the $5m penalty imposed on Diverse Link Pty Ltd in March 2023, the total penalties imposed in the proceedings stand at $29.24m.
Proceedings were commenced by the ACMA back in April 2022 following an investigation into online poker services offered to Australians.
The penalties were a follow-up to Federal Court findings in November 2025 that Jones and Brisbane Poker provided prohibited interactive gambling services in contravention of section 15(2A) of the IGA. In addition, Buttigieg admitted to contravening section 15(2A) by aiding and abetting the provision of the services.
Nerida O’Loughlin, Chair of the ACMA, stated: “This decision sends a clear warning that offering online poker to Australians is illegal and there are serious consequences for those who breach the law.
“Illegal gambling services put Australians at risk, and the ACMA will continue to take action against those who target these services at Australian consumers.”
