Ben Simmons doubles down on racial discrimination claim against Crown Casino in Australia

Sixers star Ben Simmons is doubling down on his claim that he and a small group of friends faced racial discrimination during a trip to Crown Casino in Melbourne, Australia.

On Twitter early Tuesday morning, Simmons wrote that his group “felt personally singled out” during a recent trip to the casino, where the superstar claimed he and and his black friends were asked to show identification and ultimately denied entry, while his white friend was not.

In a since-deleted Instagram post, Simmons goes through his friends one-by-one, claiming the only member of the group who wasn’t carded and ultimately let in was white.

“They didn’t let me in, or him, or him, or this guy," Simmons said, pointing to himself and the black members of his group. "Wow, we’ve got a long a way to go.”

Crown Casino disputed that account, saying in a statement it “strenuously” rejected Simmons’ claim that he and his group were singled out and discriminated against, pointing to a security policy that requires security officers to check the identification of anyone they believe to be younger than 25.

According to Nine News Australia, Simmons and members of his group refused to show identification and moved on to another entrance to the gaming floor, where they were allowed inside.

“The group subsequently provided identification and were permitted entry,” the casino said.

The Sixers star also addressed claims he wasn’t allowed in the casino because he was wearing camouflage pants, which are against the casino’s dress code.

“My friend who got let in also had camouflage pants on," Simmons wrote on Twitter.

Simmons, who was born and raised in Australia, is a superstar in his home country, where he is the country’s highest paid athlete. He’s been in Australia for a week, in part to support the new documentary The Australian Dream, which tells the story of the racism faced by Australian Football League legend Adam Goodes.

» READ MORE: 10,000 miles from Philly, Sixers star Ben Simmons has his native Australia obsessed

» READ MORE: Sixers’ Ben Simmons helping change the face of basketball in Australia

Australia has struggled with racism, especially recently, with the country’s former race discrimination commissioner claiming race relations within the country are at their worst level in years.

Staff writer Keith Pompey contributed to this report.