Poker Player Prosecuted for Running Illegal Gambling Website

Luke Gregory Brabin, 37, is the first to be convicted under a new government crackdown on illegal poker rooms.  He will be required to pay a $10,000 fine.

That government is Australia and the website is play.pokerasiapacific.com, which has gone offline. 

The law Brabin is accused of breaking is a 16-year-old Interactive Gambling Act.

Under the act, it is illegal to operate an online gambling service with Australian customers without government approval.

Poker Asia Pacific announced last year it had been the subject of a legal action. 

“Unfortunately, Poker Asia Pacific must suspend its services until pending legal action regarding the Interactive Gambling Act is resolved,” a message on the company’s Facebook page read.

“During this time, Poker Asia Pacific will be lobbying strongly to exclude online poker from the Interactive Gambling Act and ­resume its services without any legal implications.”

This warning was also issued at the time: “If our efforts are not successful (then) online poker is likely to be banned in 2017 under the new bill (to amend the act),” the message said. “Which would mean Poker Asia Pacific would not be able to reopen and all of the other online poker sites would be banned as well.”

Brabin is best known for taking home $131,365 in a  World Series of Poker Asia Pacific tournament in 2014.