Minors take a gamble on casino age limits

Minors take a gamble on casino age limits
by: State editor Greg Kelton From: The Advertiser

MORE children than ever before are being caught trying to enter the Adelaide Casino.
New figures show that in the past financial year, the casino refused entry to 8420 people suspected of being minors.

This is a 26 per cent increase on the previous year, prompting calls for the introduction of on-the-spot fines for minors to act as a deterrent.

However, the identity checks did not prevent some minors slipping through the net.

The Liquor and Gambling Commissioner's annual report shows that in the same period, there were five instances of minors being detected on the casino premises.

The commissioner says there was a failure of casino staff to ask for identification, a failure of staff to identify forms of identification that had been tampered with and, on one occasion, the security staff had failed to act in respect of a juvenile clearly in view inside the casino.

The increase in the number of people being detected is the result of what casino general manager David Christian said was rigorous enforcement of the laws excluding minors and the fact that the number of customers visiting the casino had increased dramatically over the past year.

"Each year, a significant proportion of those denied entry are adults who have insufficient ID," he said.

The casino also sought the approval of the Independent Gambling Authority to set 25 as the benchmark age for requiring production of proof of age.

Also during the year, the casino refused entry to 11,886 people suspected of being drunk while another 3312 were asked to leave the casino "for exhibiting levels of intoxication".

Independent Senator Nick Xenophon said laws relating to minors trying to enter licensed premises were a joke.

He said there was no incentive to try to stop the young getting into licensed premises.

"Expiation notices, perhaps a $40 or $50 fine, would send a clear message," he said.

Youth Affairs Council of SA executive director Anne Bainbridge said there was an entrenched drinking and gambling culture in SA and young people were not immune from this. She said she would be wary of expiation fines.