Gold Coast second casino: Star wants 30-year exclusive agreement from State Government

Gaming giant Star wants State Government to give it exclusivity on the Gold Coast until 2050 in exchange for major investment as part of its bold bid to kill off a rival operation.

STAR Entertainment Group wants a 30-year casino monopoly on the Gold Coast in exchange for megabucks investment in city infrastructure including the convention centre.

Star chairman John O’Neill reveals Star has told the State Government it wants a 30-year period without a rival operator on the Gold Coast in talks which started pre-Christmas.

Back at November’s Star AGM, the gaming resort giant which operates Star Gold Coast at Broadbeach, Mr O’Neill offered a suite of commitments in exchange for “exclusivity”.

He offered to contractually commit to the Star Gold Coast’s $2 billion masterplan which includes five more towers at the site, shell out $100 million for much-needed expansion of the convention centre and upgrade Sheraton Mirage.

Star says it will commit to all of this … but only if it gets exclusivity.

At the Northcliffe Sportsman’s Lunch on Friday, Mr O’Neill revealed Star was chasing “20 to 30 years of exclusivity” in negotiations with State Government

He told the Bulletin soon after: “Exclusivity, ideally 30 years, as a starting point we would try to negotiate a 30-year exclusivity period. Clearly that is a starting point and an important part of the negotiations.”

Asked if Star was opening to adding more sweeteners to its existing offer, Mr O’Neill said: “That’s as far as it goes at this point.”

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Star has big plans for the Broadbeach site.

Asked if he was open to adding more to what Star had offered in order to ward of a rival casino operator, he said: “I wouldn’t want to make a comment on that at this point. We had worthwhile negotiations pre-Christmas. Everyone agreed to put our pen’s down and renew with fresh minds in the New Year. We are keen to conclude a sensible outcome for us and the Government in a timely manner.”

Last year, Tourism Minister Kate Jones called for registrations of interest in developing a second casino resort on the Gold Coast via State Government’s Global Tourism Hub process.

A spokesman for Ms Jones said of negotiations with Star and a 30-year monopoly: “Any agreement will have to be in the best interests of the Gold Coast.”

The Bulletin understands Star is flexible about the time frame.