Really?? - I am sure he's not the first executive to say stuff in the heat of the moment, and then realise -- cant do anything

Star chairman says he was ‘trigger-happy’ in attack on regulator

Star Entertainment chairman David Foster has conceded he was “trigger-happy” when he told the gaming giant’s then chief executive, Robbie Cooke, that the NSW casino regulator should be scrapped and a government-appointed manager removed.

Mr Foster, who has taken over day-to-day management of Star after Mr Cooke’s departure last month, told an inquiry into the company’s Sydney casino that his words were poorly chosen. He wanted the Independent Casino Commission to be expanded to oversee both casinos and major clubs in the state.

The regulator appointed a special manager to oversee Star’s Sydney casino in 2022 after a review by Adam Bell, SC, found it had breached money laundering laws, had serious cultural problems, and was unfit to have gaming operations.

David Foster appearing at a hearing into Star’s Sydney licence on Tuesday.

Mr Bell has returned to conduct a second inquiry into whether Star should be handed back its licence. Hearings began last week.

So far, it has been alleged that senior Star executives wanted to “go to war” with the regulator, and that many felt sidelined by Mr Cooke. It has also heard oversight of patrons remained poor.

“They are prepping for war, we better do the same,” Mr Foster wrote to Mr Cooke, according to messages read to the inquiry last week.

“If done right, could be a catalyst to get rid of [special manager Nick] Weeks,” he wrote on another occasion.

Asked about his messages to Mr Cooke, Mr Foster said: “With the benefit of hindsight, they were heat-of-the-moment comments. As I’ve reflected on them, I would have been better served not to respond in the heat of the moment.

”In that particular context … it was in the content of an uneven playing field that continues to exist in NSW relative to the clubs.”

The NSW Independent Casino Commission was spun out of the Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority, and now only oversees Star and its rival, Crown Resorts.

Mr Foster also said text messages from early this year, presented to the Bell inquiry last week, about the removal of Mr Weeks, were also taken out of context and denied Star was “going to war” with the regulator.

He said his concerns about Mr Weeks were to do with “complexities” regarding his roles in the company’s NSW and Queensland casinos. “I would’ve chosen different words in hindsight,” he said, adding he was “trigger-happy” in sending text messages.

Mr Weeks was appointed by Queensland authorities in a similar role at Star’s Brisbane and Gold Coast casinos, making him the special manager of all of its gaming operations.

Star shares have fallen more than 20 per cent since the start of the year, and were trading at 42¢ on Tuesday morning.