Casinos across Australia are regulated by very strict laws that aim to protect the local community. While many gaming venues abide by these rules, there are some that unfortunately have a hard time doing so – and The Star seems to be one of them. This week, it has been revealed by the Sydney Morning Herald that The Star breached its license over a dozen times last year – resulting in $70 000 worth of fines.
The information comes from the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority (ILGA)’s annual report. It noted that The Star Casino was fined $48 000 for allowing minors into the venue on eight separate occasions. In the previous year, the casino operator saw the same number of breaches for allowing minors into The Star. The casino was also fined $22 000 for ‘permitting intoxication’ on the casino floor and in the Marquee nightclub.
During the previous year, The Star had not committed any breaches of this nature. It is interesting to note that there has not been any improvement in The Star’s record. The same number of minors have been permitted onto the premises and the number of intoxication has actually increased. It seems that further steps may need to be taken in order to encourage the casino operator to employ stricter security on site.
The ILGA recognises that the casino sees over 10 million visitors every year, so having eight cases of minors being allowed on the property seems quite trivial. However, it is still important that the casino operator is working hard to stop any underage individuals from accessing the casino floor.
"Nevertheless, the authority expects The Star to ensure that casino staff tasked with preventing minors from gaining access to the casino remain diligent in the exercise of their functions".