This was published 9 months ago
Star gets casino licence suspension reprieve, a week out from deadline
The Star Entertainment Group has been given another six months to demonstrate it is fit to operate its casinos in Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
The Queensland government fined the casino giant $100 million in December and gave it a year to get its house in order following a damning report into its operations in the state.
Queen’s Wharf, under construction on the banks of the Brisbane River.Credit: Adam Ferguson
That came after a 2021 investigation by this masthead into alleged criminal activity at its Sydney casino.
The 12-month deadline was due to expire next Friday, but Star now has until May 31 to demonstrate it is fit to operate the under-construction Queen’s Wharf, along with its existing casino on the Gold Coast.
Failure to do so could lead to suspension of the group’s Queensland gaming licence for 90 days.
On Friday morning, Star informed the Australian Stock Exchange that Queensland Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath had approved its 640-point remediation plan.
D’Ath said failure to comply with the agreed remediation plan would make Star liable for further disciplinary action, including fines of up to $5 million.
“There is certainly evidence that they are changing from the top down, but it is still very early days,” she said.
“This remediation plan is really the start of their work, not the end; this is the start.
“The remediation plan has taken many months to develop and will really drive reforms I now expect to see coming out of there.”
D’Ath said the government was committed to addressing the damning findings of the Gotterson review, along with other inquiries into casino operations across Australia.
The Gotterson review found Star misled regulators, and courted gamblers who had been excluded from interstate casinos and placed them at “real jeopardy” of criminal infiltration.
The government has also extended the appointment of special manager Nicholas Weeks for another 12 months.
Weeks, who was also appointed by the NSW Independent Casino Commission to oversee Star’s operations in that state, will remain in his Queensland oversight role until December 8, 2024.
“I think it would be way too early to not have a special manager overseeing this process,” D’Ath said.
“Because this remediation plan has only just been approved, I want to give it time to be implemented.
“I do believe from what I know already that oversight is critical until I’m satisfied that the Star Entertainment Group is taking action of their own volition and not just because they’re being managed through the process.”
Star chief executive and managing director Robbie Cooke, who stepped into the role last year after the company was slugged with $100 million fines in both Queensland and NSW, said he was pleased their remediation plan had been approved in the Sunshine State.
“It’s an important step on our path to returning to suitability in Queensland and will track and hold us accountable throughout the multi-year program we are committed to delivering,” he said.
“At the same time, we are fully aware that successful implementation of the Remediation Plan will require the utmost rigour and discipline.
“We need to regain the trust and confidence of all our stakeholders and communities, and continue to have an unwavering focus on transformation.
“That comes from a clear understanding that holding casino licences is a privilege, not a right.”
Parts of the $3.6 billion Queen’s Wharf project were expected to open in April, a delay from previous estimates of this Christmas.
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