Australia’s Star Casino in Hot Water - Again

The Star Casino in Australia is in trouble again after being fined for allowing a 12-year-old not only onto the casino floor but letting her place bets on 21 virtual terminals.  

The girl was snuck into the casino through a side door by her mother, who then encouraged her to play on the video poker machines. 

 Parental Permission 

The child’s father, who was also on the casino floor, kept a close eye as the whole family indulged in a few games of chance while on holiday.  

New South Wales Liquor & Gaming of Investigations and Intervention’s David Byrne said:  

“Not only did The Star fail to manage the risk, once the child was on the gaming floor, but there were also several opportunities where staff should have noticed a very young person playing the poker machines – well before they did which was when the family was leaving.” 

Authorities are understandably shocked by the lack of regard for the law as well as the safety of their own child. Chairman of the New South Wales Independent Liquor & Authority, Phillip Crawford added his thoughts on the matter saying:  

“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.” 

This is not the first time that Star Casino has found themselves in trouble for minors being allowed on the premises, although this is the first time the child was this young. 

 Repeat Offender 

The casino self-reported 2 other incidents that took place in the past. In one instance, a 16-year-old proceeded through a VIP checkpoint without having her identity verified, and then used fake documents to purchase alcohol from the bar.  

In a different instance, a 17-year-old managed to play 42 rounds of roulette and 22 hands of poker before being escorted out by security. Byrne commented on these reports: 

“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.” 

Aside from the obvious risk, there is a distinct impression of staff nonchalance. The Star has been fined $64,000 for the incident with the 12-year-old, while the fine for the 2 other teens, who visited the casino between March and July 2019, had fines of $15,000 each. 

 Training Tools 

According to their website, The Star practices ‘the responsible service of alcohol. Guests must be aged 18 years or over to enter the casino’, but this is clearly not very well imposed. The casino needs to relook at the training of staff and possible incentivising in order to encourage a more proactive approach. 

In 2018, The Star reported 35 instances of minors managing to access the casino floor. This number dropped only slightly, to 32, in 2019. 

Giving overworked staff the mandate to implement rules without giving them the necessary tools with which to execute those requirements is a recipe for failure.