Two Australian Casinos Fined for Letting a Minor Play Multiple Times

Crown Sydney Casino in New South Wales, Australia, was hit with an AUD 1.75 million ($1.25 million) fine after the New South Wales Independent Casino Commission (NICC) ruled that the venue had allowed a 16-year-old boy to gamble at least 19 times. The Star Sidney was also slapped with a fine for letting the same boy play. NICC Fined Crown Sydney Casino and The Star Sidney The minor reportedly circumvented security measures by using a fake ID and was also provided with complimentary alcohol. During his multiple visits to the casino, the teenager accumulated enough points to attain Silver Tier status in the Crown Rewards program, a level that requires 10,000 casino points. It remains unclear how much the minor gambled at Crown Sydney to attain the casino’s Silver Tier rewards status. The program has five tiers in total, ranging from Member to Black. Silver is the second tier in the Crown Rewards program, above the entry-level Member Tier automatically available to new members. Unlike other casinos, Crown Sydney does not offer slot machines, nor does it offer poker machines, as last year NSW authorities barred Crown Sydney from operating them. Instead operates table games that can be used to earn points, which are calculated based on the type of game, the average bet, and the amount of time played. According to the NICC, the minor also visited The Star Sydney at least three times, where he was able to gamble. The Star Sydney was subsequently fined AUD 500,000 (about $358,000). NICC Chief Commissioner Philip Crawford said the NICC acknowledged that both casinos had accepted responsibility for significant failures in their identity verification and customer onboarding processes, which allowed the minor to repeatedly enter their venues. Crown Reported the Issue Themselves It’s interesting to note that the issue was brought to the NICC’s attention by Crown Resorts themselves. A casino spokesperson said Crown Sydney takes its responsibilities regarding minors and the use of false identification seriously. They also explained that the casino notified the regulator after discovering that the individual was underage and had cooperated with the investigation. The NICC said effective identity verification is essential not only to prevent minors from accessing casinos but also to help detect and deter criminal activity. Dimitri Argeres, executive director of regulatory operations at Liquor and Gaming NSW, said the failure of safeguards that allowed a vulnerable young person to repeatedly enter casino gaming areas and experience harm was unacceptable. In other news from Australia, lawmakers are considering letting citizens opt out of gambling ads, as the country is aiming to diminish its large gambling issues.