Did Star City Casino Allow 24 Hour Gambling Marathons?
March 19, 2012 3:42 pmIn Australia, it is against the law to allow casino patrons to gamble for more than 24 hours at a time. However, according to an e-mail leaked to former Star Casino manager Elizabeth Ward, those rules are often ignored for the casino’s high-rolling visitors.
The Star casino in Sydney is operated by Echo Entertainment, which vehemently denies the accusation, and is in the middle of a management clear out for breaking its internet and email policies.
Apparently, the e-mail at the centre of the latest storm was written by Director of VIP Services at Star City Dean Wilson to senior staff, in which he lays out the policy told to him by responsible gambling manager Ron Wagemans. In response to an incident involving a staff member who told two international high rollers that they would soon reach the 24 hour gambling limit and be advised to leave, Dean Wilson allegedly wrote:
“For our [international rebate] guests we are under no obligation to stop their play at the 24-hour mark. These guests travel with limited time to play and they have an established amount of funds that they are prepared to gamble with.”
The e-mail subsequently found itself in the hands of former manager Elizabeth Ward, who is currently trying to sue the Star for wrongful dismissal. Commenting on the e-mail, Ms Ward further heaped accusation upon her former employer by stating:
“They are a law unto themselves. Players can play for 48 and even 72 hours. They take drugs to stay awake and there’s no questions asked.”
In the meantime, the Star has said that any media speculation on the matter has “lacked factual accuracy” and that any breaches of policy will be investigated and acted upon. An e-mail later sent by Mr Wilson to pit managers at four of Echo Entertainment’s casinos requested they should monitor their overseas guests for signs of fatigue and ask them if they were ok to continue playing.
“We need to look for signs such as the guest nodding off to sleep, making comments that have little sense, slow to make decisions, disorientation, spilling drinks or any other behaviour that would lead you to believe that the guest is unable to make rational decisions,” read the e-mail.