The New South Wales Independent Casino Commission (NICC) has decided to extend the external management of Star Entertainment's Sydney casino until June 30, 2027. This decision stems from ongoing concerns about the company’s governance, leadership, and corporate culture.
The extension allows manager Nick Weeks to continue overseeing the casino's operations while its license remains suspended. NICC Chief Commissioner Philip Crawford acknowledged the progress made by The Star but stressed that significant issues regarding governance and culture still need to be addressed.
Crawford remarked, "There is no doubt that The Star has come a long way in addressing the matters which led to the suspension of its casino licence in 2022. However, it is disappointing that despite this progress, the group company keeps encountering problems that impact its various properties."
He expressed the NICC's intention to closely monitor how The Star resolves these issues, reminding the company of its responsibility to show the effectiveness of its remediation efforts and to ensure ongoing compliance without the NICC’s intervention.
The current extension continues the suspension that has been in place since October 2022, when The Star lost its independent operating rights following the Bell inquiry. At that time, it was penalized with a fine of AU$100 million ($70,286). Following this, the NICC has consistently prolonged the license suspension, maintaining external management under Weeks.
The Star is currently engaged in a remediation program aimed at improving compliance, risk management, ethics, and senior management reforms. However, Commissioner Crawford raised concerns about ongoing financial uncertainties which hinder faster progress in these areas.
Commissioner Crawford also highlighted that unresolved issues relating to key leadership roles and ongoing civil actions by the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) need to be settled. Recent court rulings found that two former senior executives of The Star breached the Corporations Act 2001 through inadequate management and reporting of money-laundering and criminal-activity risks.
"These are all issues that must be resolved before the NICC can consider lifting The Star’s licence suspension, which may occur if the casino can demonstrate that their remediation measures are properly integrated within the business," Crawford added.
The NICC's supervision of Weeks continues as he manages one of the most scrutinized casino licenses in the country. In a separate incident earlier this year, Crown Sydney and The Star Sydney faced a combined fine of AU$2.25 million ($1.61 million) due to a 16-year-old gaining access to their gaming floors with fake identification documents.
