This Month
Star’s Steve McCann goes all in on Salter Brothers
There is no more time for Plan B or Plan C. Salter Brothers has to work.
Billionaire Mathieson backs Bally’s bid for Star with $50m sweetener
The company’s largest shareholder has thrown his support behind the American casino giant’s rescue bid despite Star’s lengthy discussions with another party.
Aristocrat takes gaming groups to UK court over Buffalo brand
The ASX-listed giant is hauling a group of offshore gaming companies into a UK courtroom, alleging that they have ripped off one of its most popular slot games.
This $15b Nasdaq group wants to shift its primary listing to the ASX
If a business has size and growth, management has a vision, and everyone executes as promised, the local market can still provide a red carpet treatment.
Star negotiates with Salter Brothers for long-term $750m refinancing
The funds management giant has already engaged regulators and state governments about probity and is offering to refinance the casino’s long-term debt.
How Star’s ‘buyer of last resort’ entered its orbit at a meeting in New York
Star Entertainment looked everywhere for funds in recent months, just not the place it would end up attracting a bid. Why not?
Hong Kong investors to rescue Star, close in on Brisbane casino
The struggling entertainment group has debts totalling $400 million and its shares have not traded since Monday because it has been unable to sign off accounts.
Accounts show billionaire Ed Craven’s private vehicle in revenue surge
The Stake.com co-founder’s Easygo Solutions also has hundreds of millions of dollars in cryptocurrency holdings, its financial statements show.
February
It’s Star Entertainment’s moment of truth and first up is the board
Star’s status should be clear by Friday, by when its board – already operating in safe harbour – would have put pen to paper on signing off on its status as a “going concern”.
US casinos group Bally’s Corporation joins Star Entertainment scramble
As the clock ticks on Star Entertainment’s future, a newcomer is taking a look at its casinos.
Tabcorp delivers profit jump as Gill McLachlan swings the axe
Higher revenues and lower costs have helped the wagering giant meet expectations for the first time since it demerged its lotteries business three years ago.
Light & Wonder in $1.05b acquisition; taps Jarden
The dual-listed gaming giant will cough up $850 million in cash upfront and pay out $200 million on a four-year revenue-based earn-out.
Pokie machine maker Ainsworth close to paying out for shareholders
Ainsworth has revived takeover talks with its largest shareholder, Austria’s Novomatic.
Betr mulls revisiting controversial 100-to-1 promotion as it expands
The ASX-listed bookmaker is buying Queensland-based TopSport in its second major deal in a year, putting it “right on the heels” of major rival PointsBet.
Matt Tripp’s Betr raises cash to buy Queensland bookie
The target TopSport reported a turnover of $198.9 million for 11,000-plus gamblers in the December half of the financial year.
January
Brisbane Broncos give Star Entertainment sponsorship payment reprieve
The major NRL club signed the embattled casino giant on as a back-of-jersey sponsor in 2022, with a five-year deal worth about $1.5 million every season.
$40m not enough: The AFL’s plan to grab more gambling money
The sport’s administrators make up to $40 million from wagering deals every year. It is hoping to significantly increase that by negotiating a new agreement.
Inside the high-roller room at struggling Star’s new casino
Bored-looking dealers amid golden opulence. There are not as many big-paying customers as Star Entertainment would like at the most exclusive space in its sparkly new Brisbane casino.
Heavyweight Star investors land in Brisbane as casino teeters on brink
The company said it was “no certainty” it would be able to raise any more money to avert collapse as it discusses its options with major shareholders.
Sportsbet hit with multimillion-dollar class action
Gamblers who lost money betting on “live” sporting contests are suing the betting giant Sportsbet to recoup millions in losses.