The Star casino fined $90k after girl, 12, goes on gambling spree
The Star casino in Sydney has been hit with a massive fine after three breaches involving children gambling and being served alcohol. The incidents include a 12-year-old girl playing the poker machines with her parents. WATCH THE CCTV FOOTAGE
NSW
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The Star casino has been fined a record $90,000 after a 12-year-old girl went on a gambling spree, placing 21 bets on multiple poker machines.
The school student was snuck in to the venue by her mother before she was stopped by security as the pair, along with her father, tried to leave.
The incident is one of three breaches involving children gambling and being served alcohol, with a 16-year-old also found playing roulette and poker for over three hours while drinking a vodka Red Bull.
The Star self-reported the incidents to the NSW independent Liquor and Gaming Authority as required, but this did not mitigate the severity of the penalty.
The authority’s report showed the girl managed to sneak in after her mother held open an exit door as patrons came out, allowing the girl to slip past security.
Once inside, the pair met up with the girl’s father, with the girl beginning her 17- minute uninterrupted gambling spree.
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The family are understood to be visiting from China on tourist visas.
In the second incident, a 16-year-old girl entered through the VIP checkpoint with a middle-aged male “platinum” member, without being asked for ID.
As she made her way to the main gaming area, she was asked to produce ID only for her fake learner driver’s licence to be accepted.
Inside, the teenager was able to move about freely, at one stage being served a vodka Red Bull at the bar.
The fake ID was picked up when she attempted to enter the casino nightclub.
In the final incident, a 17-year-old boy drank a vodka Red Bull while also playing 42 rounds of roulette and 22 hands of poker after door security failed to note he was underage despite having produced his own provisional licence.
The teenager remained inside for three-and-a-half hours despite CCTV showing he had up to 15 separate interactions with staff. When the error was realised, the boy was escorted out of the venue.
Authority Investigations and Intervention director David Byrne said underage patrons trying to sneak in through the exit doors was “a fairly obvious risk”.
“However, 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,” he said.
He also called for more roving ID verification checks.
The incidents, which occurred over a four-month period from March to July 2019, were among 32 instances of minors gaining access to restricted areas of the casino.
Authority chair Phillip Crawford described the pokie-playing 12-year-old girl as at the “serious” end of the spectrum.
“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,” he said.
A spokesman for The Star said the casino had reviewed “each of the incidents in detail and taken measures to prevent similar instances occurring in the future”.
Originally published as The Star casino fined $90k after girl, 12, goes on gambling spree