Star Entertainment has appointed former Lendlease and Crown Resorts chief executive Steve McCann to lead the struggling gaming business as it fights to keep its Sydney casino licence and grapples with a lack of high-rollers.

Mr McCann will join Star on July 8, after stepping down from the board of property giant Scentre Group. He will receive a sign-on bonus of $2.5 million and could earn $15 million over two years in take-home pay and incentives if he succeeds in overhauling the company’s culture and effectively implements its remediation program.