A Sydney casino has been fined $90,000 after an investigation found three underage people were found gambling in separate occasions.
The Star Casino reported each incident and copped a $15,000 fine for two instances of teenagers being found inside and a $60,000 fine after a 12-year-old was caught hitting the machines.
The three instances happened between March and July last year.
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The child was reportedly brought into the casino by her mum via an emergency exit. She was then allowed to play the pokies for 17 minutes, while her mum watched on.
An investigation found the child managed to make 21 bets in that time. It wasn't until the family was leaving the casino that security officials questioned the parents about the child being on the casino floor.
ILGA Director of Investigations and Intervention David Byrne said the issue was disturbing.
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"Not only did The Star fail to manage the risk, once the child was on the gaming floor, there were a number of opportunities where staff should have noticed a very young person playing the poker machines - well before they actually did which was when the family was leaving," Mr Byrne said.
"It's quite staggering that the young girl's parents facilitated her entry in such a deceptive manner, let alone allowed their daughter to gamble."
In another instance, investigators were told about a 17-year-old boy who managed to get his way into the casino and play for hours without issue. The teen used his license to get past security and play 42 rounds of roulette and 22 hands of poker before being thrown out.
He was also able to order drinks during the lengthy gambling session.
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A 16-year-old girl was also able to get into the Star without being asked for ID because it was a VIP checkpoint. She was eventually asked for identification when she was on the main gambling floor and she allegedly flashed her fakie. It was accepted and she was allowed to drink alcohol.
David Byrne is concerned at the ability for both teenagers to not only get inside the casino but also not be questioned more thoroughly by staff once on the gaming floor.
"Both children's forays lasted long enough that they had interacted with several staff members by the time they were discovered," he said.
There were 32 instances of minors getting into restricted areas of The Star in 2019 and 35 the year before. The casino self-reported each case to authorities.
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