In mid-2023, customers at The Star casino in Sydney took advantage of a software glitch on ‘ticket in, cash out’ (TICO) machines, allowing them to withdraw excessive amounts of cash. The malfunction stemmed from a system error that permitted the re-use of one out of two inserted receipts, resulting in multiple cash payouts. Casino manager Nicholas Weeks attributed the confusion to the faulty software, stating that ‘very large amounts of cash’ were dispensed beyond the intended limit of $2,000 per transaction, aimed at preventing money laundering.
At least 43 individuals are believed to have exploited the bug, including former gambling addict Thanh Lan Le who withdrew over $57,000. Following the discovery of the issue, the casino alerted the police, leading to arrests and charges of fraud against the suspects. One of the allegedly fraudulent recipients, Thanh Lan Le, has agreed to plead guilty and return the obtained funds. The software glitch has raised concerns about the casino’s operations and the Independent Casino Commission has launched an inquiry into the incident.
