Liquor & Gaming NSW to ISSUE Star Casino with $5,000 fine

NSW Department of Customer Service

LIQUOR & GAMING NSW TO ISSUE STAR CASINO WITH $5,000 FINE

Liquor & Gaming NSW will fine the Star Casino $5,000 for breaching the COVID-19 public health orders after groups of patrons were observed standing and mingling between groups while consuming alcohol on Saturday night.

This is the second fine to be issued by Liquor & Gaming for COVID-19 public health order breaches; the Double Bay’s Golden Sheaf Hotel will be formally fined $5,500 this week after breaches were detected last Wednesday.

Dimitri Argeres, Acting Director of Compliance for Liquor & Gaming, said under the COVID-19 public health orders, patrons must be seated to consume or be served alcohol.

“There is a risk of COVID transmission if people are mingling while under the effect of alcohol,” Mr Argeres said.

“The Star was aware of its obligations to establish and enforce their COVID-19 Safety Plan as we have visited twice over the past two weeks and provided information and advice on what they should be doing.

“The fine follows a third inspection on the weekend where we witnessed further breaches of the COVID-19 Safety Plan, with patrons standing while consuming liquor and mingling between groups.

“We want to send a strong message that businesses must manage these risks to ensure individual patrons and the community are protected.

Under the health orders, all licensed venues, as well as a range of other industries, must have a COVID-19 Safety Plan that details their risk management measures and is visibly enforced.

The Star Casino today announced that a patron who visited on Saturday 4 July has tested positive for COVID-19 and they are working with NSW Health to initiate contact tracing.

Licensed venues are considered high risk for COVID transmission and the outbreak at Crossroads Casula underscores the seriousness of enforcing a COVID-19 Safety Plan, including the requirement for alcohol to only be consumed by seated customers.

“It’s also really important that customers take responsibility by adhering to a venues’ protocols, providing their

/Public Release.