More Than Half Of Star Casino's Violent Incidents Allegedly Go Unreported To Police

A NSW government review of violence at Sydney's Star Casino has found the venue may be misrepresenting the number of such incidents that occur on its premises by failing to inform police when assaults take place, it has been reported.

According to the ABC, a leaked report from the state's Department Of Justice reveals that a significant portion of violent incidents were recorded in the venue's daily reports under the banners of "behaviour" and "forced removals", rather than that of "assault".

Officials from Liquor & Gaming NSW consequently requested access to security reports and footage for the six months between March and August this year, ultimately finding that, of 111 violent incidents total, 75 of them — about 67.5% — had not been referred to police.

The statistics seemingly get worse the more infrequent the reports; for the casino's monthly reports, a whopping 79% of violent incidents were omitted when being presented to the casino's executives and, consequently, the state government.

While not all of those incidents would have necessarily required police presence or resources to resolve, the ABC explains that this reporting discrepancy equates to a rate of serious incidents at the casino that likely runs more than three times as high as official crime statistics, and almost five times the number of altercations reported to senior management.

Additional incidents that apparently went unreported to police during the review's reporting period included sexual and physical assaults, a case in which a man's leg was broken on-site and "larger brawls" that have unfolded on the premises.

This, the broadcaster reports, averages out to an estimated 250 violent assaults each year at the casino; by comparison, the Plantation Hotel, regarded as the state's most violent pub, chalked up 21 such incidents last year.

However, representatives for The Star advised that the Justice Department's review was haphazard and misinformed, failing to take into account an on-site police presence at the venue between February and September last year ("If police had any concerns, it is inconceivable that those resources would have been withdrawn," a spokesman told the ABC), and was adamant that "there can be no suggestion that The Star does not adequately report incidents".

"The Star is the most highly regulated licensed operator in NSW, and willingly provided confidential internal reports to Liquor & Gaming NSW, which was established as the new regulator earlier this year," the spokesman said.

"The Star has had no chance to discuss the content of the report with L&G NSW," he continued. "It is an opportunity The Star has now been offered, and has accepted. However, The Star is still waiting for those discussions to occur."