‘Casino Secrets’ Leak Exposes Former Australian Minister Behind Illegal Offshore Casino

The bombshell ‘Casino Secrets’ leak, which exposed confidential records from offshore gambling hubs in Curaçao and Malta, reveals that a former Australian minister co-founded an illegal gambling platform years after voting to ban online wagering Down Under.

As Casino.org has been reporting, German hacker Lilith Wittmann breached the systems of the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) and Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA) to expose a trove of documents related to their licensed online gambling firms.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported today (Oct. 2) that records for LuckyBet show that the offshore casino once licensed by the CGA was founded by De-Anne Kelly, a former member of Australia’s Parliament who served as minister for veterans’ affairs when John Howard was prime minister.

The hacked database disclosed that LuckyBet applied for an offshore gambling license in Curaçao in March 2023, a little more than two decades after Kelly voted to pass the Interactive Gambling Act (IGA). The IGA made online casino gambling illegal throughout Australia.

At the time of LuckyBet’s application, Kelly was serving as a member of Australia’s Administrative Appeals Tribunal. Records show LuckyBet operated under LBC Enterprises Pty Ltd, a Queensland-based corporation.

Conflict of Interest & Compliance Role

The CGA records detailed LuckyBet’s application, license, and ongoing governance. Kelly was named the company’s co-founder along with her son, Ian Parke. They were listed as the online gambling operation’s directors and major shareholders, with Kelly additionally cited as the business’s chief compliance officer, during the application.

The CGA, however, noted a possible conflict of interest in reviewing the offshore gambling application. Kelly left the tribunal before the license was approved.

Despite Kelly voting to keep online gambling illegal in Australia, after gaining its license from the CGA, LuckyBet marketed and operated to gamblers Down Under.

On Sept. 25, 2025, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) issued LuckyBet a formal warning that it violated the IGA and ordered the platform to cease operations in Australia.

A spokesperson for the ACMA said the authority did not have information on who was behind the LuckyBet operation at the time of the warning.

Current Status & Failed Buyout

The data leak showed that LuckyBet’s offshore gambling license with the CGA terminated late last year. The website, nonetheless, remains active, though it is restricted in Australia.

ABC said Kelly and Parke did not respond to inquiries about the LuckyBet business.

Parke had reached a deal in June 2025 to sell LuckyBet to Apple iSports Group Inc., a California-based digital gaming company, but the deal fell through. At the time of the proposed acquisition, Parke said the deal “validates the global opportunity we see in regulated, tech-driven gaming.”