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 more than 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 has approved Crown Sydney, located in Barangaroo and due to open in late 2021. This will create 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 its 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
Online casinos are banned in Australia, but we would expect Star Casino to launch an online gambling site as soon as they are legal down under. The online casino ban falls under the Interactive Gambling Act, which was updated in 2016.
Yes, we have thoroughly enjoyed our visits to the Sydney Casino, with the fact they have some lower limit tables making them appealing to a broad range of players.
Yes, there are several TAB outlets at Sydney Casino, including the 24/7 Sports Bar. The other options for legal sports betting in Australia is via the top online bookmakers.
Making sure the Sydney Casino abides by all relevant legislation is the Department of Liquor and Gaming, NSW.
Crown Melbourne is generally talked about as the best casino in Australia, but The Star in Sydney does have claims to the mantle.
Timeline of the Star Sydney
1994: A consortium made up of Leighton Properties and Showboat was named as the successful bidder for the states only casino license. A temporary casino is setup until the permanent location is launched.
1997: Star Sydney opened its doors in 1997, with the design done by Philip Cox.
2009: Plans were announced to reimagine the Star Sydney, with the major works including angling the front of the building to the Sydney Harbour. In 2011 these plans were realised with the venue reopening as “The Star”.
2022: The NSW regulator chose not to revoke The Star’s license despite major failings in compliance, which were tabled in a report. The NICC chairman Philip Crawford said they had factored in thousands of Star employees being out of work.
2024: The Star is again being investigated after the Sydney Morning Herald reported a special manager claimed the casino did not adequately do welfare checks on pokies players. The report also said pokies players had scored over $3.2m they did not win from broken poker machines.
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.