The Queensland administration has declared an impartial examination of Star Entertainment Group to evaluate if the operator is qualified to maintain a gambling permit in the state.
Queensland’s Attorney General, Shannon Fentiman, declared this week that the review will proceed due to worries about money laundering and ethical problems, despite ongoing probes by state law enforcement and casino regulators into Star Entertainment Group. Fentiman stated that the inquiry will continue while the independent review is in progress. Star Entertainment Group currently operates the Star Gold Coast land-based gambling establishment in Queensland.
“The Palaszczuk Government takes accusations of money laundering and ethical issues very seriously,” Fentiman stated. “The Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation’s investigation into Star Entertainment Group is ongoing and they will continue to collaborate with Queensland Police and the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre.
“An independent expert assessment will also be carried out to determine whether Star Entertainment Group is appropriate to keep its gambling license.”
Star Entertainment Group is already the focus of a similar examination in neighboring New South Wales. The review was initially planned to conclude on June 30, but has been extended to the end of August to enable more witnesses to testify.
During the summer of 2022, worries about the connections between The Star Sydney and exclusive gambling areas, along with regulations against money laundering, triggered an initial examination. In the first month of this year, the investigation broadened to encompass other organizations within the group.
Public hearings into The Star Sydney’s operations are ongoing, and a number of accusations have surfaced, including that The Star Sydney permitted a VIP room operator, Suncity, to run its own chip exchange at the casino, where they swapped cash for chips, despite this being against New South Wales’ gambling control laws.
The case also claims that The Star Sydney’s statements about having policies in place to reduce the risks of money laundering, corruption, bribery, insider trading, and limiting gambling product use were misleading or deceptive.
In the spring, Matt Bekier, The Star Sydney’s long-serving chief executive officer and managing director, stepped down from both roles in response to the issues raised in the ongoing review of the casino.
The Star Sydney appointed John O’Neill as temporary executive chairman, but less than two months later, he was replaced by Geoff Hogg, who assumed the role of CEO on the first of June.
The operator also suspended its loyalty program for all domestic and international VIP players across all of its casinos, and reaffirmed that it would not be dealing with exclusive gambling areas while the review of The Star Sydney continues.
In response to the confirmation of the Queensland investigation, The Star Sydney stated that it would fully cooperate with the inquiry.
The Queensland administration will unveil the specifics of the examination at a later time.
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