Long-time Star Entertainment director Sally Pitkin has resigned from the company and will leave by the end of June, at the same time as she told a NSW inquiry that fear of the “competitive threat” of Crown Resorts opening in NSW was partly to blame for Star’s misconduct.

She also signalled that a wide-reaching clean-out of Star’s senior ranks was under way, and the board was “identifying people who have given evidence before [the NSW Bell] review and their employment arrangements” and had started “with the most senior people first”.