Star Sydney slapped with $10million in fines for compliance failures
The NSW Independent Casino Commission (NICC) has imposed $10 million in fines on The Star Sydney and ordered the casino operator to set aside a further $5 million to strengthen its financial crime risk management systems following a series of compliance failures.
The penalties stem from four separate disciplinary matters referred to the regulator by Liquor & Gaming NSW after investigations uncovered thousands of breaches at the Sydney casino.
The largest sanction relates to systemic failures in financial crime risk operations between July 2023 and September 2025, resulting in a $5 million penalty and an enforceable undertaking requiring The Star to establish a dedicated $5 million remediation fund to improve its technology and compliance capabilities.
MORE: Star Sydney guide
Additional penalties include $3 million for allowing patrons to convert casino reward points into cash between December 2018 and November 2023, $1.5 million for breaches of mandatory gambling break requirements between May 2024 and April 2025, and $500,000 for allowing an excluded patron to enter the casino on nine occasions between February and May 2024.
NICC Chief Commissioner Philip Crawford said the breaches were serious but noted many occurred before significant remediation measures had been implemented.
“While these disciplinary matters are disappointing, we have seen considerable progress at The Star under their new leadership,” Crawford said.
Investigators found some patrons were permitted to gamble for more than 12 hours within a 24-hour period, with several cases exceeding 36 consecutive hours of play.
The financial crime breaches included failures to adequately assess customers for potential links to money laundering and terrorism financing.
The enforceable undertaking marks the first time the NICC has used the regulatory tool since legislative reforms introduced the measure in 2022.
Star Sydney is regarded as one of the best gambling venues in Australia, with the Pyrmont venue also a popular dining and entertainment destination.
