Another blow for Star Entertainment with a potential suspension of its Gold Coast casino licence set to hang over its head for at least another six months.
The company was on the verge of regaining full control of the casino, only for that recommendation to be changed.
The Queensland government first suspended Star’s casino licence for 90 days in December 2022 following serious allegations about governance and operational arrangements, with that suspension initially deferred for a year.
The company was also fined $100 million and had a special manager appointed.
The deferral of the licence suspension and the appointment of the special manager have since been extended several times.
A report by special manager Nick Weeks last month found that while the company wasn’t completely in the clear, it had made significant improvements, and the potential licence suspension should no longer be in play.
“In my view, the current state of TSGC and its progress on remediation render it unnecessary to impose the commencement of the Deferred Suspension of the TSGC casino licence.
“There is now a credible basis to rescind the Deferred Suspension.”
But a supplementary report written by Mr Weeks only a week later has led to more uncertainty for Star.
The follow-up report was prompted by several media articles which raised further questions about governance, culture, safer gambling, and financial crime compliance.
The supplementary report noted that while the allegations raised hadn’t yet been substantiated, it has prompted fresh questions about Star.
Weeks then walked back his earlier recommendation to rescind the deferred suspension.
“While further work is required before concluded views can be formed on a number of matters, in our view the additional information weakens the case for rescission of the Deferred Suspension at this time and correspondingly gives greater weight to the alternative of further deferral while those matters are examined.”
The suspension of Star’s licence has now been deferred for another six months to March 2027.
Mr Weeks’ tenure as special manager has also been extended until then.
