Two Sydney casinos have been fined over AU$2 million for allowing a 16-year-old to gamble at their properties. The youth “gambled away a significant amount of money” during at least 19 visits to Crown Sydney and three visits to The Star.
The NSW Independent Casino Commission (NICC) fined Crown Sydney AU$1.75 million ($1.25 million) for its failure to stop the minor from entering its property. An investigation found the casino gave the 16-year-old silver membership status, and illegally served him free alcohol.
He used a fake driver’s license to gain access to the casino between April and August 2025. During that time, he also visited The Star Sydney on at least three occasions. For its failures, the NICC fined Star AU$500,000 ($358,000).
Casino Flaws Unacceptable, Says Regulator
In a press release, NICC Chief Commissioner Philip Crawford said the boy had “gambled away a significant amount of money” during his visits.
The agency handed down the fines following an investigation by Liquor and Gaming NSW (L&GNSW).
“The breakdown in safeguards that allowed a vulnerable young person to repeatedly access casino gaming areas and suffer actual harm is unacceptable,” L&GNSW Executive Director of Regulatory Operations Dimitri Argeres said.
Boy Banned From Casinos for 5 Years
In addition to the casino fines, the regulators also imposed penalties on the boy. The legal gambling age in Australia is 18, but he will not be allowed to enter a casino again until he turns 23.
Crown Sydney defended itself by saying that the teen’s mother had accompanied him on several visits to the casino. It also said it alerted the NICC when it became aware he was underage.
“Crown Sydney takes its obligations in relation to minors and the use of false identification extremely seriously,” a Crown spokesperson told ABC news.
“We notified the regulator after becoming aware the individual was underage and have cooperated with its investigation,” it added.
The NICC noted that both casinos cooperated with the investigation and “accepted responsibility for the significant failures.”
“However, this does not diminish the seriousness of allowing a 16-year-old to enter casino gaming areas and gamble away a significant amount of money. In the case of Crown Sydney, this also included the illegal service and consumption of complimentary alcohol,” Crawford added.
Gambling Allegedly Rife Among Australian Minors
There have been strong calls in Australia to clamp down on the gambling industry, with critics arguing thatvminors are betting in increasingly high numbers.
“The relationship that young kids are having with gambling is scary and it’s dangerous. We are normalising gambling for the younger generation,” said cricketer Usman Khawaja when calling for a ban on gambling ads last year.
“I can’t watch an NRL game without getting odds right before a game,” he added. “I play grade cricket with young cricketers who are coming through. There are 16-year-olds with gambling accounts, and they cannot watch the game without putting a bet on.”
The Australian Institute reported that 30% of minors aged 12 to 17 gamble. Overall, Australians gamble more than any other nation, losing an average of over $1,000 a year. In comparison, Americans lose around half that at $524 per year.
Government Tightens Laws on Gambling Ads
In response to what many say is a crisis, the government has tightened rules on gambling advertising. From next year, Australians will be able to opt out of all online gambling advertisements.
From January 1, all online services must provide an opt-out function if they want to display gambling ads. Then, individuals will be able to register with the government to automatically exclude themselves from seeing ads on any platform.
Any person can register their name, email address, or phone number and opt out of seeing any gambling ads online, including on streaming platforms, in online banner ads, or in podcasts. Platforms would have to scrape the register every 14 days to check that their users have not opted out of gambling ads.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has previously warned influencers that they can also face prosecution if they promote illegal gambling. However, the practice continues.
Australian influencer Dinah came under fire earlier this year for promoting the crypto casino Rainbet. Online casinos are banned in Australia, but many users access platforms through VPNs or other means. Dinah has since deleted her social media accounts amid the backlash.
Australia has also introduced a ban on social media for minors. It remains to be seen whether these measures will address the problem of underage gambling in the country.
