The Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority (ILGA) in New South Wales (NSW) has issued a AUD$90,000 fine to Star Casino in Sydney for allowing minors access to the gaming floor and gambling. The casino self-reported the 3 cases to the gaming regulator but it did not stop ILGA from dishing the penalty.
Multiple Cases of Underage Gaining Access to Gambling Areas
The bulk of the fine, AUD$60,000, was due to a serious breach of standards allowed by the casino with regards to a 12-year old girl. The kid was snuck in by her mother through the casino exit doors and was let by the parent place a number of bets on poker machines in a period of 17 minutes.
“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.”
Philip Crawford, Chairman, ILGA
The Chinese nationals who were visiting Australia on a tourist visa were picked by Star’s security personnel only when trying to leave the casino. ILGA concluded Star Casino to have failed in dealing with a security risk of patrons trying to sneak into the venue through the exit doors, as well as failing to notice an underage playing the poker machines despite having several opportunities to do so.
The second incident Star Casino was fined AUD$15,000 involved a 17-year old boy who managed to play roulette and poker before being identified as minor by the security and thrown out of the casino. The teenager entered the venue identifying himself by his own driver’s license and during three-and-a-half hour gambling session played 42 rounds of roulette and 22 hands of poker, interacting with casino staff at least 15 times without being identified as underage.
Another AUD$15,000 of the penalty was added for another case of a teenager, who beside getting entry into the venue, was found by ILGA inspectors to have been served alcohol on the main gaming floor. The 16-year old girl was allowed entry through a VIP checkpoint without being asked for an ID, and when casino staff asked her to identify, accepted a fake driver’s license to serve the teenager alcohol.
The three incidents Star Casino self-reported to the gaming authority occurred between March and July 2019, with the casino reporting a total of 32 instances of minors gaining access to restricted casino areas for the year.
The fine issued by ILGA is the latest financial penalty imposed on Sydney’s Star Casino, following the AUD$5,000 sanction dished to the gaming venue for breaching of public health and safety orders, as groups of patrons were observed on several occasions from the inspectors to mingle with each other while consuming alcohol.