The NSW Independent Casino Commission (NICC) has fined Crown Sydney Property AU$40,000 after finding that an intoxicated patron continued to be served alcohol at a restaurant within the Barangaroo precinct.
The incident occurred at Woodcut restaurant in May 2025. While Woodcut is independently managed, it operates under the Crown property liquor licence, which covers Crown Sydney’s fine dining restaurants.
Over approximately three-and-a-half hours, a female patron consumed a combination of hard spirits, cocktails and wine. Her level of intoxication eventually left her physically impaired and requiring a wheelchair to return to her hotel room.
Following an investigation by Liquor & Gaming NSW, the matter was referred to the NICC for disciplinary action.
The commission found that Crown Sydney Property had permitted intoxication on licensed premises and supplied alcohol to an intoxicated person, breaching liquor provisions under the Casino Control Regulation 2019.
The NICC identified several points at which staff could have intervened, including stopping alcohol service, providing non-alcoholic alternatives or removing remaining drinks from the table.
Under the regulation, the NICC can impose penalties of up to AU$55,000 on a liquor licensee, rising to AU$110,000 where aggravating circumstances apply.
The case follows separate regulatory action against Crown Sydney last month. The casino operator was fined AU$1.75m after a 16-year-old using fraudulent identification entered the casino 19 times between April and August 2025, obtained silver membership status and was served complimentary alcohol.
The Star Sydney was separately fined AU$500,000 after the same minor entered its casino on three occasions.
Both casino operators agreed to strengthen identity verification, customer onboarding and staff training following those breaches.
The penalty relates to Crown’s property operations, not the Barangaroo casino operator
