Star Sydney Casino Licence Suspension Extended to June 2027

The New South Wales Independent Casino Commission (NICC) has extended the suspension of The Star Sydney's casino licence until 30 June 2027.

The regulator cited ongoing concerns about the company's governance, leadership and corporate culture as key factors for the decision, which prolongs the tenure of external manager Nick Weeks.

NICC Chief Commissioner Philip Crawford acknowledged the progress made but emphasised that questions remained regarding its governance, leadership and culture remediation which are crucial to ensuring that the casino can operate under its own licence again.

"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," Crawford said in the regulator’s update.

"It is disappointing that despite the progress made by the Sydney casino, the group company continues to experience problems that affect each of its properties."

The extension marks nearly four years since The Star’s Sydney casino lost independent operating rights in October 2022, following findings from the Bell inquiry.

Since then, the NICC has progressively extended the licence suspension and maintained external management under Weeks.

Crawford said the NICC would be watching carefully to see how The Star and The Star Entertainment Group resolve these issues.

"Both companies need to demonstrate to the NICC that they have learned from past mistakes and can resolve these cultural issues without the need for the NICC’s intervention," he added.

"Ultimately it is The Star’s responsibility to demonstrate that it believes in its remediation efforts and that they can do the work to ensure its remediation sticks long-term."

The regulator has pointed out unresolved uncertainties regarding critical leadership positions and the outcomes of ongoing civil proceedings initiated by the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) in Federal Court.

AUSTRAC has alleged serious and systemic breaches of anti-money-laundering laws and is seeking an AU$400 million penalty, with a judgment pending.

The NICC statement noted that there remains uncertainty about The Star Entertainment Group’s capacity to support The Star’s remediation while it fills critical leadership and governance roles.

"These are all issues which need to be resolved before the NICC can lift The Star’s licence suspension, which can occur at any time if the casino can demonstrate that its remediation efforts have been properly embedded in the business," Crawford concluded.

Shares in Star Entertainment Group lost more than 10 per cent on Friday following the announcement, closing at AU$0.13 per share.

The action by the NICC comes one day after authorities in Queensland extended the appointment of Nicholas Weeks as special manager of The Star Gold Coast until 31 March 2027.