What we do
The NICC is responsible for regulating and supervising casinos in NSW.
The Casino Control Act 1992 was amended on 5 September 2022 to establish the NICC and to include comprehensive measures targeting key issues such as gambling harm, money laundering and other criminal activity. The board of the NICC meets twice a month to make formal decisions about casino licensing and operational matters.
NICC board meetings and outcomes
Disciplinary outcomes register
Increased supervision
The 2022 amendments included provisions for the NICC to fine casino operators up to $100 million. These penalties can be imposed retrospectively for serious breaches committed in NSW.
The NICC can also hold individual board members and executives liable for serious wrongdoing they facilitated, or knew about but failed to stop. The NICC can take direct disciplinary action against individuals for breaches they commit or knew about but failed to stop, and fine them up to $1 million, rather than only being able to penalise casino operators.
The reforms delivered on the NSW Government’s commitment to support all 19 recommendations of the Bergin Inquiry and included additional measures from the Victorian Royal Commission into Crown Resorts.
Our regulatory activities
The NICC is comprised of a Chief Commissioner and four commissioners, with an office of eleven specialist administrative and advisory staff.
To perform its role effectively, the NICC delegates some of its functions to Liquor & Gaming NSW (L&GNSW) staff who administer systems for the licensing, supervision, and control of NSW's two casinos through activities such as inspections, investigations, audits, probity checks, research and data.
L&GNSW assists the NICC to:
- oversee casino operations, including overt and covert operations to ensure compliance with gambling harm minimisation requirements
- license relevant casino staff
- consider applications for approval of games to be played in a casino and the rules under which such games are played
- approve gaming equipment for use in a casino
- determine the operating times of a casino
- impose strict internal control measures for the way in which gaming is conducted in the casinos.
Visit the casino compliance on the L&GNSW website for information on the role inspectors play at casinos.
NSW's two casinos
The Star's casino licence was suspended indefinitely on 22 October 2022. The casino remains open and operational under the control and direction of NICC appointed manager, Mr Nicholas Weeks. Mr Weeks was initially appointed for a 90-day term which was extended by 12 months to 19 January 2024.
On 17 November 2023, the manager's term was further extended to 30 June 2024. The appointment of Mr Weeks has allowed the casino to continue operations and provided an additional layer of supervision while the NICC determines whether the matters identified during the Bell Review can be rectified and whether the NICC believes it is likely that The Star can achieve suitability.
Current work centres around establishing benchmarks and assessing the systems in place to facilitate anti-money laundering compliance, know your customer programs, and the implementation of a purposeful and effective responsible gambling framework and governance culture.
A remediation capability assessment will be finalised to form a view as to whether The Star may be considered suitable to hold a casino licence in the future.
Crown Sydney was found unsuitable to give effect to its Restricted Gaming Licence and entered into an agreed remediation action plan. Crown undertook intensive structural and governance transformation and was bought by Blackstone in June 2022. Shortly after Crown Sydney was given conditional approval to open its gaming floors under observation by an independent monitor. The conditional period, which is in place until 30 April 2024, has enabled the NICC to closely supervise Crown Sydney’s management, operations and governance.
On 28 June 2023, the Commission approved an increase in the total number of remediation activities and moved the final date for completion from 30 June 2023 to 30 November 2023. On the same date, the Commission and Crown Sydney agreed to extend the conditional gaming period from 31 December 2023 to 30 April 2024. The independent monitorship also concludes on this date.
A suitability assessment was finalised in March 2024 to determine whether Crown Sydney is suitable to give effect to a Restricted Gaming Licence and whether Crown Resorts is a suitable person to be a close associate of Crown Sydney.
On 23 April the NICC found Crown Sydney suitable to hold its casino licence. This concludes nearly three years of intensive remediation.
Casino internal control manuals
By law, casinos must operate in accordance with a system of internal controls, and other administrative and accounting procedures approved by the NICC. The internal control manuals (ICMs) are a key focus of the NICC’s regulatory oversight. Each casino’s compliance with ICMs is closely monitored.
Before Crown Sydney was allowed to open under conditional approval, the NICC’s predecessor, the Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority (ILGA), led a comprehensive project to strengthen Crown's internal controls. These controls were designed to address a range of risks identified by the Bergin Inquiry and the Victorian Finkelstein Royal Commission.
This work has resulted in the approval of stronger, fit for purpose controls for Crown Sydney and provided the basis for a similar project at The Star, which is currently implementing ICMs under the NICC's supervision.
Reviews and investigations
Under the Act, every five years the NICC must investigate and form an opinion as to whether:
- the casino operator is a suitable person to continue to give effect to the casino licence and the legislation
- it is in the public interest that the casino licence should continue in force.
The Act also allows for adhoc reviews.
2024 Independent Inquiry into The Star
More information
Minimising gambling harm and preventing crime in casinos
Casino special employee disciplinary action guidelines