Your number’s up: Gambling 28 hours a week is enough, Star tells casino regulars

Star Entertainment has advised its regular casino customers of new rules that will set limits for continuous gambling under threat of being excluded from the premises.

In response to inquiries in Queensland and NSW, and community demands for higher standards, members of The Star Club have been briefed on the rules coming into effect on January 31.

Star Entertainment Group is responding to the damning findings of several government-initiated inquiries.Credit: Edwina Pickles

Under changes to the PlayBreak initiative, people using poker machines, or electronic gaming machines, will be required to break for at least 15 minutes every three hours.

Swipe cards will be monitored to ensure gamblers do not use machines for more than 28 hours over a seven-day period. If they gamble for longer, Star can exclude them from the casino for seven days.

For table games, Star will recommend people take a break of at least 30 minutes after playing for six hours.

“Guests will not be permitted to gamble for more than 12 hours within a 24-hour period. At this point, guests will be required to leave the casino for a break of 24 hours,” club members have been told.

The new rules are generally in line with inquiry recommendations and empower staff to take action rather than just recommend gamblers take breaks, as is the case under Star’s current Time Play Management system.

Under the changes, anyone excluded from the casino three times in a six-month period, whether forced to take a 24-hour or 7-day break, can be excluded for a year.

The changes are believed to be part of the remediation plan approved by the Queensland and NSW governments but yet to be released.

Star is expected to detail the 100 initiatives in its plan over the coming weeks.

“We are on a journey to restore our suitability and our remediation plan will track and hold us accountable to the multi-year program we are committed to delivering,” a Star spokeswoman said on Monday.

Star made the final instalment of its $100 million penalty to the Queensland government on December 28. Australia’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing agency is still seeking civil penalties through the Federal Court.

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