Star Entertainment Pleads Guilty and Has to Pay Fine of AU$140,000 in Queensland

Posted on August 4, 2023 | 8:30 am
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Star Entertainment, the embattled Australian operator of land-based casinos, has received yet another fine for its past wrongdoings: 140,000 Australian dollars in the state of Queensland.

The fine was decided by the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation in Queensland after it was proven that Star Entertainment accepted credit card deposits at its casinos in Brisbane and the Gold Coast and also intentionally distributed promotional material to players who were excluded from its venues.

Yvette D’Ath, the Queensland Attorney-General, announced that Star Entertainment decided to enter a guilty plea in relation to eleven offenses and after that the state imposed a fine of 140,000 Australian dollars. The company will also have to pay 3,250 Australian dollars in court costs.

Seven of the respective charges were related to the company having accepted credit card wagers of more than 170,000 Australian dollars between 2017 and 2022. It was demonstrated that due to a lack of adequate controls at the company’s casinos in Brisbane and the Gold Coast customers were able to use credit cards to deposit money into their casino accounts, allowing them to gamble well beyond their means.

The remaining four charges were related to Star Entertainment distributing advertising material about its casinos to people they knew were excluded from entering their venues. These four offenses happened in February 2022. The Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation also pointed out to the Court that it had warned Star Entertainment about similar wrongdoings in the past.

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Not Acceptable

Speaking about the Star Entertainment case, Yvette D’Ath, the Queensland Attorney-General, underlined that the company’s way to operate its casinos in the state is “not acceptable.”

The Attorney-General also pointed out that operating a casino is “a privilege” granted to the company by the state, and in return “the community expects The Star, at an absolute minimum, to effectively control risks, such as gambling harm and money laundering.”

Yvette D’Ath assured the Queensland public that casino laws in the state will be further strengthened and enforced and that “the regulator is closely monitoring all casinos operating in Queensland and will take action if they fall short of their requirements.”

This ruling comes after Star Entertainment was fined 100 million Australian dollars by the Queensland government in December 2022 as a result of an inquiry into the company’s operations in the state.

Source: . Inside Asian Gaming. August 2, 2023.

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