Howard-era minister voted to outlaw offshore casinos, then co-founded one
Former federal minister De-Anne Kelly has been revealed as a co-founder of offshore casino LuckyBet.
German activist Lilith Wittmann released leaked documents from the Curaçao Gaming Authority, revealing former Australian minister De-Anne Kelly's involvement in the online casino LuckyBet. Kelly had previously supported the Interactive Gambling Act, a law aimed at regulating online gambling in Australia, decades before her alleged contravention with LuckyBet.
Kelly co-founded LuckyBet and served as the company's chief compliance officer when it first applied for a gambling license in March 2024. Her son, Ian Parke, was listed as the company's director and major shareholder. The Curaçao regulator revoked LuckyBet's license at the end of 2025, but the website remains active. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) recently received a complaint about LuckyBet, finding it unlicensed and providing a prohibited service to Australian customers.
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