Queensland Consolidated Acts

CASINO CONTROL ACT 1982 - SECT 102

102 Provisions relating to minors in respect of casinos

(1) Minors shall not be, and shall not be permitted to be, in a casino during the hours of operation of the casino on any day.

(2) A minor who is found in a casino during the hours of operation of the casino on any day is guilty of an offence.

Penalty—

Maximum penalty—25 penalty units.

(3) Subsections (1) and (2) do not apply to a minor in relation to a period during which the minor is in a casino for an official assistance purpose.

(4) To remove any doubt, it is declared that if a minor gambles in a casino and—

(a) wins—no amount is payable to the minor or anyone else on the minor’s behalf; and

(b) loses—the wagers remain the property of the casino operator and are not recoverable by the minor or anyone else on the minor’s behalf.

(5) If a minor has gambled on a gaming machine and wins a jackpot, the casino operator must promptly notify an inspector about the gaming and, with the inspector’s approval, return the amount of the jackpot to the jackpot pool for the machine as soon as is practicable.

(6) A casino operator or employee or agent of a casino operator employed in or acting in connection with the casino—

(a) must not allow or suffer any minor to enter or remain in the casino at any time during the hours of operation of the casino on any day; and

(b) must remove or cause to be removed from the casino any minor who is found in the casino during the hours of operation of the casino on any day.

Penalty—

Maximum penalty—

(a) for a casino operator—150 penalty units; or

(b) for an employee or agent of a casino operator—40 penalty units.

(7) Subsection (6) does not apply to a casino operator, employee or agent in relation to a period during which the casino operator, employee or agent believes the minor is remaining in the casino for an official assistance purpose.

(8) An adult must not aid or enable a minor to enter or remain in a casino during the hours of operation of the casino.

Penalty—

Maximum penalty—40 penalty units.

(9) Subsection (8) does not apply to an adult in relation to a period during which the adult believes the minor is remaining in the casino for an official assistance purpose.

(10) A casino operator or an employee or agent of a casino operator employed in or acting in connection with the casino must not allow a minor to gamble or attempt to gamble in the casino.

Penalty—

Maximum penalty—

(a) for a casino operator—250 penalty units; or

(b) for an employee or agent of a casino operator—40 penalty units.

(11) A casino operator or an employee or agent of a casino operator employed in or acting in connection with the casino who finds a minor gambling or attempting to gamble in the casino must immediately prevent the minor from gambling or attempting to gamble.

Penalty—

Maximum penalty—

(a) for a casino operator—250 penalty units; or

(b) for an employee or agent of a casino operator—40 penalty units.

(12) Subsection (3E) applies for the purpose of prosecuting a casino operator or an employee or agent of a casino operator for—

(a) allowing a minor to attempt to gamble in a casino; or

(b) if the operator, employee or agent finds a minor attempting to gamble in a casino—not immediately preventing the minor from attempting to gamble.

(13) For deciding whether a minor attempted to gamble in a casino, the Criminal Code , section 4 , applies as if gambling by a minor in a casino were an offence committed by the minor against this Act.

(14) If a casino operator or employee or agent of a casino operator employed in or acting in connection with the casino suspects that any person attempting to enter or who is in the casino may be a minor, the operator, employee or agent may request that person to furnish the operator, employee or agent with a certificate in the approved form signed by that person, specifying the true age of that person.

(15) A person is guilty of an offence if the person, on being asked to give acceptable evidence of age—

(a) does not give acceptable evidence and further attempts to enter the casino; or

(b) does not give acceptable evidence and does not immediately leave the casino voluntarily; or

(c) gives acceptable evidence of age that is false or misleading in a material particular.

Penalty—

Maximum penalty—25 penalty units.

(16) Subsection (15) (b) does not apply to a person in a casino for an official assistance purpose.

(17) It is a defence in any proceedings for an offence under subsection (6) , (8) , (10) or (11) to establish—

(a) that the defendant believed, on reasonable grounds, that the person in question was 18 years or more; or

(b) that at the time of the offence, the defendant had obtained from the person in question a certificate mentioned in subsection (14) , or acceptable evidence of age, indicating that the person was 18 years or more.

(18) In this section—

"acceptable evidence of age" means a document that is acceptable evidence of age under the Liquor Act 1992 .

"official assistance purpose" means a purpose of—

(a) helping an inspector in the performance of the inspector’s functions under this Act; or

(b) helping a police officer in the performance of the officer’s functions under a law.