By Andrew Starke
Sydney’s flagship casino will not be subject to NSW Government restrictions on violent bars and clubs, despite recording the fourth highest number of assaults in the 12 months to July.
The decision is likely to anger the larger clubs who also appear high up on the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) assault incidents list due to the large number of patrons they attract each year.
A spokesperson for Star City, Peter Grimshaw, told TheShout it was only fair that Star City be exempt from lockouts, glass bans and restrictions on the service of alcohol after midnight.
“We have government inspectors onsite and there is a special police casino unit,” he said. “Our security measures include CCTV and we are able to respond to any incident immediately.”
Grimshaw did not want to speculate on whether larger clubs with a greater number of patrons should, like the casino, be granted some leeway saying this was a matter for the NSW Government.
However ClubsNSW CEO, David Costello, said there were contrary forces at play when it came to restrictions.
"The Government has been very clear in its message to ClubsNSW in that when it comes to the overall number of venue incidents, size doesn’t matter,” Costello said.
"Similar to the casino, large clubs have well over a million people through their doors each year yet they are subject to the same special conditions placed upon nightclubs and hotels that have just a fraction of the patronage.
"Granting the casino an exemption from all of the special conditions placed upon other venues despite it featuring at the very top end of the incidents list is not a look that sends a message of consistency to either the hospitality industry or the community."
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