Lonely ‘problem gambler’ allowed back on casino floor

A Gold Coast woman identified as a problem gambler has won the right to continue gaming at Queensland casinos, despite a tribunal finding she spent “excessive” time at the Star.

The casino operator identified the woman, “SB”, as a problem gambler after she lost $30,000 in the nine months between April 2022 and January 2023. As a result, it banned her.

In handing down his decision, Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal member Michael Howe outlined the social loneliness SB faced since the death of her aunt.

“SB” lost $30,000 over nine months at The Star Gold Coast casino.

In arguing to be allowed back, SB told casino staff she was financially comfortable as her aunt had left her “everything” – including a property worth between $2.82 million and $3.64 million.

“[SB told staff] she moved back to Australia from the USA to be her aunt’s carer,” Howe said in his published decision.

“She said she and her aunt visited the casino ‘very regularly’ – it was their favourite thing to do together.

“SB said she was still visiting regularly because it reminded her of her aunt. They had many friends at the casino.”

Howe conceded the time SB spent at the casino seemed “excessive”, but it was debatable that any gambling losses would have a “negative effect on her financial standing”.

“She does not appear to have family, and she says her friends are all to be found at the casino,” he said.

“What part of the time at the casino she spends socialising with friends and what time gambling is not addressed by either party.

“Objectively speaking, on the information to hand, I find she does have difficulty limiting the amount of time spent gambling.”

Still, Howe said, he had “no reasonable grounds” to believe SB was at risk of experiencing harm from gambling. He said Star records showed her leaving the casino with her winnings on 29 days, rather than feeding them back into gambling.

“There is no evidence that another family member is affected by SB’s gambling. Indeed, there is no evidence that she has any other family members,” Howe said.

“There is no evidence that there are any friends or relatives affected, nor that any such have called or arrived at the casino to ask after her.

“The only friends mentioned have been friends she met at the casino itself … There is nothing to suggest any effect on the community.”

Howe ordered Star’s exclusion direction to be set aside, allowing SB to once again enter the casino.

“I might add, SB has been the author of much of her own difficulties in the matter at hand,” he said.

“Star was acting responsibly in asking her about her financial standing as a carer on a fortnightly benefit, but she either failed to comprehend what reasonable information was being sought or avoided providing it.

“Her full disclosure of her financial standing from the outset may well have resulted in a very different conclusion reached by Star that she was a person experiencing harm from gambling.”

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