Crown Sydney and the Star Fined A$2.25M After 16-Year-Old Gambles

SYDNEY – Crown Sydney and The Star Sydney have been fined a combined A$2.25 million after a 16-year-old repeatedly entered and gambled at both casinos.

The penalties put identity-verification and minor-protection controls under fresh scrutiny after the teenager used fraudulent identification to enter Crown 19 times and The Star three times.

The NSW Independent Casino Commission announced the penalties on Aug. 19 following an investigation by Liquor & Gaming NSW. Crown Sydney was fined A$1.75 million, while The Star Sydney received a A$500,000 penalty for incidents between April and August 2025.

Teenager Entered Crown Sydney 19 Times

The 16-year-old used a fraudulent driver’s license to gain entry to both casinos, according to the regulator. At Crown Sydney, he was admitted to gaming areas on 19 separate occasions, obtained silver membership status and was served complimentary alcohol despite being underage.

The teenager also entered The Star Sydney three times using the false identification. NICC Chief Commissioner Philip Crawford said the minor had gambled away a significant amount of money and that both casinos had accepted responsibility for failures in their identity-verification and customer-onboarding processes.

“Maintaining effective identity verification processes is not only a necessary tool in the protection of minors but for detecting fraud and criminal activity in NSW casinos,” Crawford said.

Crown told ABC News that the teenager’s mother accompanied him during some visits. The casino said it notified the regulator after discovering he was underage and cooperated with the subsequent investigation.

Casinos Agree to Strengthen Identity Checks

Both casinos have committed to additional remediation measures following the investigation. These include changes to identity-verification and customer-onboarding procedures as well as further staff training intended to prevent similar incidents.

Liquor & Gaming NSW Executive Director of Regulatory Operations Dimitri Argeres said the safeguards had failed to prevent a vulnerable young person from repeatedly entering gaming areas and suffering actual harm. His agency investigated the incidents before referring the matter to the NICC for disciplinary action.

The regulator can impose penalties of up to A$100 million on a casino operator for serious breaches under the Casino Control Act 1992. Liquor & Gaming NSW has also banned the teenager from entering either casino for five years, with the exclusion beginning when he turns 18.

The Star Remains Under Regulatory Oversight

The latest penalty adds to continuing compliance pressure at The Star Sydney. In June, the casino was fined A$10 million over separate risk-management failures, including excessive gambling periods, failures involving an excluded patron and weaknesses in financial crime controls.

The Star’s casino licence also remains suspended, with state-appointed manager Nick Weeks authorized to continue operating the gaming business until Sept. 30, 2026. The NICC has said it is monitoring remediation work as the casino attempts to demonstrate that it is suitable to regain control of its licence.

For Crown and The Star, the immediate response to the underage gambling case will center on implementing the promised identity and onboarding improvements. Regulators said they will continue monitoring compliance with controls intended to prevent minors from accessing casino gaming.

RELATED TOPICS: Regulation