Two workers at the Sydney Star Casino, a property of the Sydney Star Entertainment Group, were dismissed and found guilty in court for trying to take more than A$30,000 (GBP 16,732/EUR 19,513/USD 23,233) in gambling tokens.
The two Sydney Star Casino workers were let go for taking A$30,000 in gambling tokens. One of the workers, baccarat dealer Richard Quach, was caught on surveillance cameras taking five tokens from the table during a game last year and placing them in his sock.
A subsequent probe by the casino revealed that Quach had taken tokens worth A$11,000 over a week in July 2020.
Five of the tokens, worth a total of A$5,000, were recovered. The worker admitted that he had exchanged tokens worth A$6,000 and used them to play slot machines at the casino.
Quach was dismissed by Star Entertainment Group and found guilty of theft in the New South Wales Local Court. He was given a two-year Community Corrections Order (CCO) and ordered to pay A$6,000 in restitution.
The CCO includes standard conditions that the offender must not commit any further offenses and must appear in court whenever summoned during the term of the order.
In addition to limitations on movement, the court that imposed the sentence can include other stipulations in a community correction order. These stipulations may include community service, recovery and treatment programs, and restrictions on associating with specific individuals.
In a separate occurrence, security camera footage captured another employee, Paradorn Navisakon, exchanging $1000 in cash for $6000 worth of chips for a patron.
A subsequent inquiry revealed that Navisakon had overpaid the same patron a total of $20,000 on four separate occasions.
According to the New South Wales Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority, the dealer confessed to collaborating with the customer after the scheme “was initially suggested to him as a humorous proposition.”
He was sentenced to a two-year community correction order and required to reimburse Star City $8550.
“Casino special employees are licensed individuals hired to oversee and facilitate gaming activities,” stated Philip Crawford, Chairman of the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority.
“These individuals are entrusted with a high level of responsibility to safeguard the integrity of casino operations from criminal influence, serious wrongdoing, or exploitation.”
Crawford stated that Star City acted appropriately in terminating the employees after self-reporting the misconduct in accordance with its regulatory responsibilities.
In December, two other employees of the casino were prohibited from working in casinos in New South Wales for five years due to serious misconduct.
A card game professional, who confessed to battling a gambling addiction, was discovered placing 28 wagers via a betting application while on the job. At the same time, an off-duty dealer was found with illicit substances in the casino’s common space.
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