Operator News
Australia – Star forced to honour jackpot by Sydney court
By Lewis - 23 August 2022
A judge in Australia has forced Sydney’s Star Entertainment to pay out a A$285,000 jackpot to a disabled man who’d been assisted in winning the jackpot by a banned player. In addition to the $35,000 interest since winning the jackpot in 2019, the total paid to the platinum vantage VIP player was $320,000, after the casino initially refused to honour the payout.
The jackpot was won on a $10 bet playing Star’s the Year of the Tiger machine. However, the casino refused pay the winnings as the person that placed the bet had signed a voluntary exclusion order in 2016, was banned from the premises and was not entitled to any winnings.
The judge stated: “In the context of their playing machines for several hours, the truly significant disability plainly deprived him of the ability to operate the machines himself for enjoyment.”
The judge found that it was the disabled player, not the person that placed the bet on their behalf, who won the jackpot and ruled that the money could not be withheld.
Negative publicity surrounding the story added to the week’s news of Star Entertainment Group full year loss of $198.6m as Covid-related closures during the year and a writedown against its flagship Sydney casino hit the casino operator.
The troubled company is also awaiting the outcome of a review into its suitability to hold a NSW casino licence as well as an investigation from the financial crimes regulator after an inquiry heard allegations it enabled suspected money laundering, organised crime, fraud and foreign interference at its Sydney casino.
