The Star Sydney licence suspension extended into 2027
The Star Sydney will remain under external management after the NSW casino regulator decided it still isn’t ready to regain control of its suspended casino licence.
The NSW Independent Casino Commission has requested an extension of manager Nick Weeks’ appointment until June 30, 2027.
Weeks continues to hold the casino licence on behalf of The Star, allowing gaming operations at the Sydney property to continue while the company’s own licence remains suspended.
The decision is significant because The Star had appeared to be getting closer to regaining control of the casino.
Instead, the regulator says unresolved questions surrounding governance, leadership and corporate culture remain.
NICC Chief Commissioner Philip Crawford acknowledged that considerable work had been completed since The Star lost control of its licence.
“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.
“However, recent allegations regarding governance, leadership and culture at the casino are serious and are being treated as such by both the manager and the NICC.
“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 Star Sydney’s licence was suspended in October 2022 following the first Bell inquiry, which found serious deficiencies in the casino’s compliance and governance.
Rather than closing the casino, the NSW Government appointed an independent manager to oversee operations while The Star attempted to remediate the business.
That arrangement has now lasted almost four years.
Crawford said the regulator could still restore the licence before June 2027 if The Star demonstrates that its reforms have become properly embedded.
“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 said.
The decision comes after another difficult year for The Star.
In June, the Sydney casino was hit with A$10 million in NSW penalties covering failures including financial-crime risk management, excessive gambling sessions, casino reward points being converted to cash and an excluded customer gaining entry.
For now, players will see little immediate change at the casino itself. The property remains open and gaming continues, but it does so under the independent manager rather than under The Star’s suspended licence.
