Penalties for three offenses
The New South Wales (NSW) Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority has issued fines totaling AU$90,000 (US$64,500) to the Star Sydney Casino for three cases involving underage gambling and serving alcohol to minors.
underage gambling and serving alcohol to minors
The second-largest casino in Australia was hit with a AU$60,000 (US$43,000) fine because of the long time it took security staff to detect that a 12-year-old girl was playing slot machines on the casino premises. The property also paid the remaining amount of AU$30,000 (US$21,517) when a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old were allowed to enter the gaming floor and consume alcohol.
The Star self-reported all three incidents, which took place between March and July 2019. Video footage was provided for each case.
NSW Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority chairman Philip Crawford acknowledged the cooperation of the casino but noted that these were serious offenses. He said: “The penalty indicates that every breach requires a regulatory response befitting the risk of harm to young people and the community.”
Young girl gambling
The gaming authority released details of the cases on Friday. It outlined how a 12-year-old girl was on a tourist visa with her family from mainland China in 2019. Her mother bypassed security by going through an exit door that a casino patron had come out of, and then brought her daughter to the casino floor. The girl’s father was already on-site.
21 bets across various slot machines during a 17-minute spell
The girl made 21 bets across various slot machines during a 17-minute spell. Security eventually managed to intercept the family as they were exiting the property. Crawford commented: “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.”
The other incidents
A 17-year-old boy who was found drinking vodka on The Star’s premises played 22 hands of poker and 44 rounds of roulette. Security finally detected that he was a minor after three-and-a-half hours.
Finally, a 16-year-old girl gained entry through a VIP checkpoint without showing any ID when accompanied by a middle-aged man who was a platinum VIP member. When she got to the gaming floor, she showed a fake learner driver’s license and was able to then move around the floor and order an alcoholic beverage from the bar. Security finally caught on when the teenager tried to get into the nightclub.
Each of the two incidents cost the casino a AU$15,000 (US$10,758) fine.