NSW government under pressure to put Star Millions to good use

The New South Wales Government has been asked to invest a portion of the proceeds. Beleaguered casino giant Star Entertainment Group fined record $100 million To an independent initiative to reduce the harm of gambling.

Prominent doctors, religious groups, anti-gambling advocates and NSW’s Green Party have all called on the state government to allocate at least 25% of the $100 million fine to the establishment of an independent gambling harm alleviation foundation.

casino group fined After four months of independent research led by Adam Bell SC, it was discovered that there were deep-seated cultural problems that failed to stop criminal activity, including money laundering. The $100 million fine is the maximum possible under the law the NSW government introduced in his August, $80 million fine imposed on Crown Resorts by the Victorian Gaming Authority earlier this year.

Dr John Crozier of the Royal Australian College of Surgeons said NSW must seize the opportunity to address gambling harm. “The state has not only investigated him into two giant casinos, but also into his poker machines. Now is the time to invest in independent resources and investigate the harm of gambling,” he said. says Crozier.

The NSW Government established the Responsible Gambling Authority in 2018 to coordinate gaming harm research initiatives. The department has allocated $33 million for initiatives to prevent and reduce gambling harm in 2022 and 2023, including initiatives such as Gambling Aware Week, which began Monday.

A spokesman for the NSW Independent Casino Commission said a repayment schedule for The Star’s penalties is still being worked out but will eventually go to the government’s Consolidated Revenue Fund. Kevin Anderson, who oversees the Games Minister and New South Wales Revenue Service, did not respond to a request for comment from the Customer Service Department.

A spokesperson for the regulator said: “Under the law the fines must be paid to the Secretary of State as a debt to the King and deposited in the NSW Government Consolidation Fund.”

Carol Bennett, chief of the Alliance for Gambling Reform, said the state government’s failure to mitigate the negative impact of The Star’s Sydney operations proved the need for a truly independent institution, and in 2001 the Alcohol Research Foundation pointed out a similar case in which a Education following her over $25 million alcohol tax imposed on brewers.

“There was a spectacular regulatory misstep when it came to The Star,” Bennett said.