Operator News

Australia – The Star fined AU$90,000 for three underage gambling breaches

By Phil - 18 August 2020

The New South Wales Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority has fined Star Entertainment AU$90,000 for three breaches of underage gambling at its Star Casino in Sydney.

During a four-month period to July 2019, there were 32 instances of minors gaining access to restricted areas at the Star.

The worst saw a 12-year-old brought in by her parents to play the pokies, with the girl’s mother evading security by holding open an exit door as customers exited the venue. The girl was able to place 21 bets on several poker machines.

Philip Crawford, NSW Independent Liquor and Authority Chair, said: “It’s quite staggering that the young girl’s parents facilitated her entry in such a deceptive manner, let alone allowed their daughter to gamble.”

David Byrne, Liquor and Gaming NSW director of investigations and intervention, added: “Not only did The Star fail to manage the risk, once the child was on the gaming floor, there were a number of opportunities where staff should have noticed a very young person playing the poker machines – well before they actually did which was when the family was leaving,” he commented.

In another breach a 16-year-old girl came into a VIP area with a ‘platinum’ member and using a fake driving licence to order alcohol. Another saw a 17-year-old boy use a provisional licence to get served at the bar and play 42 rounds of roulette and 22 hands of poker.

Mr. Bryne added: “Both children’s forays lasted long enough that they had interacted with several staff members by the time they were discovered. In the 17-year-old boy’s case, CCTV showed a total of 15 staff interactions. While it can be difficult to vet a person’s age by assessing whether they look over 25, this only underscores the importance of checkpoint and roving ID verification and consideration as to whether the person presenting matches their documentation.”

Mr. Crawford added: “We appreciate The Star’s cooperation in coming forward each time they detect a minor, however we do take these cases seriously. The penalty indicates that every breach requires a regulatory response befitting the risk of harm to young people and the community.”