Crown Sydney and The Star Sydney have been fined a combined AU$2.25 million after a 16-year-old repeatedly gained access to their casino gaming areas using fraudulent identification.
The New South Wales Independent Casino Commission (NICC) imposed an AU$1.75 million penalty on Crown Sydney and fined The Star Sydney AU$500,000 following an investigation by Liquor & Gaming NSW. The breaches took place between April and August 2025.
The teenager entered Crown Sydney on 19 occasions using a fake driver’s licence. During that period, he was able to obtain silver membership status, gamble at the venue and receive complimentary alcohol despite being under the legal age.
The same teenager also entered The Star Sydney three times with the fraudulent licence. Regulators concluded that identity verification and customer onboarding controls at both casinos failed to identify that the document was false.
Liquor & Gaming NSW investigated the incidents before referring the matter to the NICC for disciplinary action. According to the regulator, both operators accepted responsibility for the weaknesses that allowed the minor to gain repeated access.
Crown’s case attracted the larger penalty because the breaches went beyond entry to the gaming floor. The teenager was also allowed to consume complimentary alcohol and had progressed through the casino’s membership system. ABC reported that his mother accompanied him during some visits to Crown, while the operator said it informed the regulator once it became aware that the customer was underage.
Both casinos have now committed to additional remediation measures. These include stronger identity verification and customer onboarding procedures, upgrades to relevant controls and further training for employees responsible for checking customers entering casino areas.
Liquor & Gaming NSW has also banned the teenager from Crown Sydney and The Star Sydney for five years, with the exclusion taking effect when he turns 18.
The penalties add to a period of heightened regulatory scrutiny for The Star Sydney. Its casino licence has remained suspended since October 2022, although the property continues to operate under the supervision of a NICC-appointed manager. The regulator is still assessing whether the operator can demonstrate that it is suitable to regain control of its licence.
The latest case follows further enforcement against The Star earlier in 2026. In June, the NICC imposed AU$10 million in penalties covering financial crime controls, gambling-time limits, reward-point conversions and the admission of an excluded patron, while also requiring additional investment in financial crime risk technology.
The underage-entry case reinforces the regulator’s focus on identity checks not only as a responsible gambling safeguard, but also as a core control for preventing fraud and other criminal activity within NSW casinos.