In the latest black mark against the Star Entertainment Group, the Australian operator has been accused of asking local patrons to falsely claim they lived outside New South Wales (NSW), so Star could pay less in gaming taxes to the state government.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the allegations were made by two Star Sydney casino workers, who were directly involved in the practice. They said staff would encourage gamblers living in NSW to obtain documentation to make it appear they lived overseas or interstate. The whistleblowers claim those patrons would then have access to “lucrative rebate/ reward programs.”
Star pays a gaming tax rate of 10 percent of revenue from non-local VIP gamblers, and double that for locals.
Star responded to the Herald report with a statement saying, “The Star runs a rebate program where the eligibility of domestic and international players is determined by criteria known to the regulator. The Star operates in a highly regulated environment.”
