Star inquiry: ‘Self-serving’: Star boss admits high-rollers should’ve been banned

The boss of Star Entertainment Group has been grilled at an inquiry, admitting some ‘unsavoury’ high-rollers should have been banned from being allowed to gamble in Queensland casinos.

The boss of Star Entertainment Group has been grilled at an inquiry, admitting some ‘unsavoury’ high-rollers should have been banned from being allowed to gamble in Queensland casinos.

The inquiry into Star Entertainment Group’s Queensland casino operations has returned for a third day of public hearings.

Led by retired Supreme Court judge Robert Gotterson, the operator behind the $3b Queen’s Wharf development is facing questions over the ongoing suitability to hold a casino licence in the state, regulation and the operations of Star’s Queensland casinos.

Star interim chief executive Geoff Hogg is among those giving evidence today.

STAR BOSS GRILLED OVER HIGH-ROLLER BAN

The boss of Star Entertainment Group has been grilled over why a high-rolling blackjack gambler wasn’t banned from the Gold Coast casino despite obvious “red flags”, including turning up with cash in a plastic bag and an existing exclusion order in NSW.

Day three of an inquiry into the group’s Queensland casinos has seen a back and forth erupt between Star interim chief executive Geoff Hogg and counsel assisting Jonathan Horton QC, with Mr Horton asking “what more do you need?” to ban the man.

On Wednesday the court heard the man – known during the inquiry as Person 1 – was allowed to continuously gamble at the Gold Coast casino despite the NSW Police Commissioner banning him from the Sydney Star in 2007.

The gambler was plied by Star with luxury perks including a $52,000 Rolex watch on a “milestone” birthday, flights on a private jet, limousine transfers and free bets for more than a decade while gambling at the Gold Coast casino.

The inquiry has also heard the man once presented close to $150,000 of cash with a “waxy finish” in a plastic bag, and during one trip was arranged free gambling vouchers after losing $450,000 gambling in just twenty minutes.

Details of backdoor “workarounds” Star employees enacted to keep the man gambling were also laid bare.

Mr Hogg told the court he first became aware of Person 1 in 2015, eight years after he had been excluded by the NSW Police Commissioner over a suspicion of criminal links.

A second person – known to the inquiry as Person 2 – had been excluded from casinos in both NSW and Victoria but was also permitted to gamble in Star’s Queensland casinos.

Mr Hogg told the inquiry Star was not privy to the same information as the police, and it was decided they did not have enough evidence to issue a ban.

The argument was put to him that given the NSW Police Commissioner had felt an exclusion appropriate links to criminal activity were likely, and that should have been enough evidence.

Mr Hogg said in hindsight, that was true, and said he asked Gold Coast on-site police whether they had any further information on the player.

“I wanted to know any extra information that would lead us to an exclusion,” he said.

“I can’t be issuing an exclusion under the act if the advice is telling me I can’t be … excluding that customer on the information we had.”

But Mr Horton pushed back, and said “it’s hard to think of a more overwhelming case where some sort of exclusion was absolutely essential,” he said.

“There’s an overwhelming volume of material there on which that person could and should have been excluded.

“What more do you need than Person’s 1’s factual situation to exclude a person on whatever basis?”

Mr Hogg agreed, and admitted he only became aware of many of the details of Person 1’s interactions with the casino in recent weeks, ahead of the inquiry.

Mr Horton put it to Mr Hogg that the casino did much more than not issue a ban, but instead showered the top gambler with luxury gifts, accommodation and flights.

“It’s a function of making the person feel good about the casino so they continue a relationship, and continue to gamble,” Mr Horton said.

“It’s not just an issue of excluding, but you accept that much is being done to bring him back to the casino repeatedly.”

Mr Hogg said that yes he agreed, in hindsight.

‘OPERATIONAL NEUROSIS: STAR EXECUTIVE

On Thursday morning, Star executive Howard Steiner resumed giving evidence, revealing

he mostly learned of the activities of Person 1 – a high-roller excluded by the Sydney Star who gambled at the Gold Coast casino – through media reports.

The inquiry has also heard that a second gambler – Person 2 – was allowed to gamble at Star’s Queensland casino despite being banned from casinos by both the NSW and Victorian Police Commissioners.

The court heard staff became aware of negative media reports about the gambler, but said they could not read them as they were behind a paywall and they didn’t have a subscription.

The Star Casino on the Gold Coast VIP Premium gaming room.

Counsel assisting the inquiry Jonathan Horton QC asks Mr Steiner where that was a good reason for the articles not to have been shared.

Mr Steiner says that “operational neurosis” would not occur today.

A third case study is now being explored.

Person 3 was a gambler who was being investigated by the AFP for alleged drug importation.

The court hears that the casino was told by the AFP the man worked as a baggage handler, which was different than the occupation he had told the Star.