Crown Pay Rates 2026: Casino, Gaming & Hospitality Pay
What Crown Melbourne, Perth and Sydney workers should be paid in 2026 — Hospitality Award floor rates including the casino gaming stream, weekend penalties, and where Crown's enterprise agreements sit.
Payroll & Compliance Editor · Registered BAS Agent, Cert IV Accounting & Bookkeeping
What covers Crown workers — award or agreement?
Crown Resorts employs around 20,000 people across Crown Melbourne, Crown Perth and Crown Sydney. Each property bargains its own agreements. The main ones in our corpus: the Crown Melbourne Limited Enterprise Agreement 2023 (approved March 2024), which passed its nominal expiry on 30 June 2025 and keeps operating while a replacement is bargained; the Crown Perth & UWU Hospitality Enterprise Agreement 2023 (nominal expiry 30 September 2026 — the bargaining window is opening now); and the Crown Sydney Main Enterprise Agreement 2025 (approved January 2026, nominal expiry 30 June 2028).
The safety net underneath is the Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020 (MA000009) — and unusually, that award has a dedicated casino gaming stream covering dealers, gaming machine attendants, cage staff and surveillance. The tables below are the floor every Crown agreement must beat. For the other big casino employer, see our The Star pay rates 2026 page.
Hospitality floor rates — food, beverage and hotel roles
Adult minimums under the Hospitality Award from 1 July 2026 for the non-gaming roles that make up much of Crown's workforce:
| Level (typical role) | Permanent | Casual (incl. 25%) |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 (food and beverage attendant gr 1, kitchen attendant gr 1) | $26.44/hr | $33.05/hr |
| Level 2 (F&B attendant gr 2, cook gr 1, housekeeping gr 2) | $27.08/hr | $33.85/hr |
| Level 3 (F&B attendant gr 3, cook gr 2, front office gr 2) | $27.97/hr | $34.96/hr |
| Level 4 (trade-qualified cook gr 3, F&B tradesperson gr 4) | $29.45/hr | $36.81/hr |
| Level 5 (supervisors, cook gr 4) | $31.30/hr | $39.13/hr |
| Level 6 (cook gr 5) | $32.13/hr | $40.16/hr |
Source: Fair Work Commission modern awards pay database, rates operative from 1 July 2026. Level 1 sits exactly at the national minimum wage ($26.44).
Casino gaming stream — dealers, cage and surveillance
The award's casino classifications, from 1 July 2026:
| Gaming classification | Permanent | Casual (incl. 25%) |
|---|---|---|
| Electronic gaming employee grade 1 (Level 1) | $27.64/hr | $34.55/hr |
| Table gaming employee grade 1, electronic gaming gr 2, gaming finance gr 1 (Level 2) | $28.53/hr | $35.66/hr |
| Equipment technician gr 2, gaming finance gr 2, security officer gr 1 (Level 3) | $29.45/hr | $36.81/hr |
| Table gaming employee grade 2 (Level 3A) | $30.83/hr | $38.54/hr |
| Equipment technician gr 3, gaming finance gr 3, security officer gr 2 (Level 4) | $31.30/hr | $39.13/hr |
| Table gaming employee grade 3, gaming finance gr 4 (Level 5) | $32.23/hr | $40.29/hr |
| Table gaming employee grade 4, surveillance operator (Level 6) | $33.16/hr | $41.45/hr |
Source: Fair Work Commission modern awards pay database, rates operative from 1 July 2026. A dealer's grade follows the games and responsibilities they're required to work — multi-game dealers and those training others sit at the higher grades, not grade 1.
Weekends, nights and public holidays
Casinos run around the clock, and the award floor prices it the same way for gaming and non-gaming staff: Saturday 125%, Sunday 150% and public holidays 225% for full-time and part-time employees; casuals are on 150% Saturday, 175% Sunday and 250% public holidays (loading included). Overtime and late-night penalties apply on top of base rates.
Crown's agreements restructure some of this into their own penalty and shift tables — lawful, provided the package leaves you better off overall than the award for the hours you actually work. Price a specific roster with our penalty rates calculator and compare it to your payslip.
Common Crown pay issues
The patterns worth checking:
- Expired-agreement drift — Crown Melbourne's 2023 agreement is past its nominal expiry, so its scheduled rises have run out while the award floor keeps rising each 1 July.
- Gaming grade lag — dealing multiple games or supervising a section at a grade 1–2 rate.
- Pre-shift time — uniform and table checks, chip counts and briefings before rostered start are work time.
- Property mismatch — Melbourne, Perth and Sydney each have different agreements; make sure you're being paid under the one that actually covers your property and stream.
What to do if you're underpaid
Keep your rosters and six months of payslips, and price the gap with our back-pay calculator. Raise it in writing with your manager or the people team; the UWU covers this sector. Unresolved, the Fair Work Ombudsman (13 13 94) recovers underpayments at no cost — up to six years back.
Check your own pay with the AI advisor
“I work at Crown. Am I being paid the right rate for my age and hours — and are my weekend and public holiday penalties correct?”
Ask the advisor →
Underpaid and getting nowhere with your employer? Talk to an employment lawyer
Official resources
General information and estimates only — not legal, financial or tax advice. Always check your specific award, agreement or contract, or a qualified professional, before you rely on the result.
Related articles
The Star casino pay in 2026 — hospitality and casino gaming award rates, dealer and F&B pay, weekend penalties, and The Star's Sydney and Brisbane enterprise agreements.
Superannuation Rate 2026 Australia: 12% From 1 July (Check Your Super)Super guarantee is 12% from 1 July 2025. Check your employer is paying the right amount — $5 billion goes unpaid every year. Free calculator included.
Minimum Wage History Australia: 2025 vs 2026 Comparison & Annual IncreasesTrack Australia's minimum wage increases from 2024 to 2026. Compare $23.23/hr (2024) to $24.95/hr (2025) to $26.44/hr from July 2026. Percentage increases, FWC annual review timeline, and how award rates change.
Penalty Rates Australia 2026: Saturday, Sunday & Public Holiday PayYour weekend and public holiday penalty rates by award — retail, hospitality, fast food & more. Free calculator shows exactly what you should earn per hour.
Six years running payroll for a Western Sydney commercial builder before moving to compliance writing and contract payroll. Registered BAS Agent (TPB). Cert IV in Accounting and Bookkeeping. Writes about pay calculations, superannuation, and the 2026 Payday Super rollout. Based in Cabramatta, Sydney.