The NSW Independent Casino Commission has fined Crown Sydney $1.75m and The Star Sydney $500,000 after a minor got onto their gaming floors.
A 16-year-old carrying a fake driver's licence entered Crown Sydney 19 times between April and August 2025. He reached Silver status in the loyalty programme and was served alcohol. He visited The Star Sydney three times. The regulator treated the case as a significant failure in identity verification and client onboarding.
NICC chief Philip Crawford said both operators admitted the breaches and have brought in tighter identity checks, revised registration processes and staff training. That does not soften the incident, he said: the teenager lost a significant sum, and the alcohol served at Crown was illegal. Liquor and Gaming NSW ran the investigation before passing the file to the commission. Its executive director, Dimitri Argeres, called the situation unacceptable, saying a collapse in safeguards that let a vulnerable person repeatedly enter gaming areas and come to real harm cannot be tolerated.
Under the Casino Control Act 1992, the NICC can impose fines of up to $100m for serious breaches. The teenager is barred from both casinos for five years, with the ban starting when he comes of age.
