The New South Wales Independent Casino Commission has fined Crown Sydney AU$1.75 million ($1.25 million) and The Star Sydney AU$500,000 ($358,000) for letting a 16-year-old into their gaming areas. Together the two venues pay more than AU$2 million.
An investigation by Liquor and Gaming NSW found the teenager used a fake driver's licence to get into Crown Sydney at least 19 times between April and August 2025, and visited The Star Sydney at least three more times. Crown gave him silver member status and served him alcohol free of charge, itself a breach in Australia.
'A failure in the protection system that allowed a vulnerable young person to repeatedly access gaming areas and suffer real harm is unacceptable,' said Dimitri Argeres, executive director of regulatory operations at L&GNSW. NICC chief Philip Crawford said both casinos cooperated with the investigation and accepted responsibility, which does not lessen the seriousness of the breaches. The player was penalised too: the legal gambling age in Australia is 18, and he is barred from casinos until he is 23. Crown Sydney argues that his mother accompanied him on several visits and that the operator itself told the regulator he was underage.
Advertising and bans
The Australian Institute puts the share of 12 to 17 year olds who gamble at 30%. Australia also leads other countries on average losses per player: more than $1,000 a year against $524 in the US. From 1 January, every online service that carries gambling advertising must give users a way to opt out. Players register in a government register and platforms have to check against it every 14 days. ACMA has previously warned influencers about liability for promoting illegal operators. The influencer Dinah deleted her social accounts after criticism over advertising the crypto casino Rainbet. Online casinos are banned in Australia, but players route around the blocks with VPNs.
