The Star, Sydney Casino

The Star is a premier gambling venue in Sydney, with 100s of real money games available to customers in the NSW capital. On top of over 150 tables games the Star, Sydney, also has hundreds of pokies games, accommodation and restaurants.

The Sydney Casino had long had the monopoly on retail gambling in NSW, but the Department of Liquor and Gaming approved Crown Sydney, located in Barangaroo, which opened on December 28, 2020. This created extra competition for customers and potentially make conditions more favourable.

The Star sits comfortably among the best gambling venues in Australia, with it a popular tourist attraction and nightlife destination for locals. The Star’s restaurants include the award winning Sokyo and Black, which have drawn great attention with the city’s well-heeled.

Our guide to the Star Casino will run you through all aspects of this well-known gambling venue, including it’s location, promotions, accommodation and casino games available.

The Star – Overview

Address: 80 Pyrmont St, Pyrmont, NSW, 2009
Phone: (02)9777 9000
Dress code: No hats, thongs, neat casual dress required

Table games available at The Star

The Star, Sydney, is flush with table games and pokies with these real money casino games the most popular with Australians. In this section of our Sydney Casino guide we will run you through the table games available:

• Blackjack: Arguably the no.1 game at Australian casinos, blackjack tables are easy to find at Sydney Casino.
• Baccarat: Generally targeting highrollers, baccarat tables include tables for those of us with lower budgets.
• Star Poker: The poker room at Star Casino is a highlight of the entire casino, find cash games and tournaments running almost around the clock.
• Roulette: One of the most popular casino games is roulette and there are many tables at Crown Sydney.
• Dice Games: Dice games like Craps and Sic Bo are available at the Star Sydney. ‘
• Other tables games: Casino games that are popular with Australians like Pai Gow, Mahjong The Big Wheel and Casino War are all available at The Star.

Pokies at Sydney Casino

Sydney Casino has got upwards of 1500 pokies games, making them the biggest provider of poker machines to the public in NSW.

Pokies games available at The Star Casino include those from Australian gambling giant Aristocrat Leisure, but stretch to all the big names in the industry.

Pokies players in Sydney will also get the opportunity to join the loyalty program, which can net you some great cash back deals surrounding these types of games.

Sydney Casino sits comfortably among the best pokies venues in NSW, with their status protected by a deal which stops Crown Sydney from hosting poker machines until 2041.

Accommodation at the Star Sydney

There are two venues that have accommodation at Star Casino, Sydney, with these being The Darling and the Star Grand Hotel and Residences. They are both within walking distance of the venue and have good reputations according to reviews on various travel websites.

The Darling:

Five star accomodation, reportedly the only Forbes five star boutique hotel in Sydney, is provided by The Darling. The Darling is in close proximity to the gambling floors of The Star Casino and many high rollers stay here. The Darling has a creative design and is our pick as the best accommodation at Sydney Casino.

Star Grand Hotel & Residences:

Luxury accommodation awaits at The Star Grand Hotel, with this place furnished in an opulent manner. Star Grand Hotel includes a fitness centre, resort style rooms and all just a walk from the Star Casino and its harbour views. With over 300 rooms available at any given time, Star Grand Hotel is cheaper and arguably as good The Darling.

Star Casino Q and A

Do you have a question about Crown Sydney? Drop us a message in the box below or email us contact@worldgamblinglist.com.

Crown Sydney history

The Star Sydney is New South Wales’ primary casino and one of the most recognisable gambling venues in Australia. The casino opened in April 1995 as Star City Casino, developed at a cost of around $860 million as part of the Pyrmont–Ultimo urban renewal project. The complex was designed by a consortium led by Hill Thalis Architecture, with interior and resort-style elements aimed at positioning the venue as an integrated entertainment destination rather than a stand-alone casino. It was later rebranded as The Star in 2011.

Like Crown Melbourne, the Sydney casino has long operated under a monopoly. For decades it held the exclusive licence to operate table games and gaming machines in NSW, a privilege granted to encourage major private investment and tourism. That exclusivity ended in practice in 2022 with the opening of Crown Sydney at Barangaroo, although The Star remains the dominant mass-market casino.

The venue’s recent history has been dominated by regulatory scandal. A 2022 NSW inquiry found The Star unsuitable to hold a casino licence, citing serious anti-money laundering failures, poor governance, deceptive conduct toward regulators, and links to high-risk overseas junket operators. The casino avoided immediate closure but was placed under government supervision, fined heavily, and forced to undertake sweeping reforms.

Further penalties followed for breaches of responsible gambling rules and compliance failures, cementing The Star Sydney as a central case study in Australia’s casino regulatory overhaul.

The Star Casino verdict

The Star, commonly known as Sydney Casino, has been the gambling venue in Sydney for many years with it the only casino in NSW, until Crown Sydney opens. The Star has got over 1500 slots games, over 150 table games and table limits to suit all types of players. If casino gambling is your thing, the Star is the venue to be at in Sydney.