Casino licence suspension delay a lucky break for Star
Rex Martinich
Thu 27 March 2025 at 6:16 pm AEDT 2 min read
Star Entertainment Group will continue to operate its Gold Coast casino for at least another six months after the Queensland government deferred a licence suspension.
Attorney-General Deb Frecklington said the suspension, originally recommended by an external review of Star's Queensland operations in 2022, would be deferred until September 30.
Ms Frecklington said the delay would provide Star with extra time to deliver on its commitments to remediation while keeping its doors open.
"The government has made it clear that our expectations have not changed and The Star must progress its remediation," she said announcing the move on Thursday.
"Based on the advice of the special manager we are satisfied The Star has been continuing to make positive progress under the agreement."
Deb Frecklington says the government will monitor Star during a six-month deferral period. (Jono Searle/AAP PHOTOS)
The Star Gold Coast was due to have its casino licence suspended for 90 days, from March 31.
The 2022 review found Star "actively encouraged persons excluded (by police in NSW and Victoria) to gamble at its Queensland casinos".
The review found a poor corporate culture and marketing focused on drawing in business contributed to these incidents.
"This all placed the Star Gold Coast (Casino) at real jeopardy of infiltration by persons about whom The Star had reason to suspect were likely to have been involved in criminality," the review stated.
The Star will remain under the close supervision of Nicholas Weeks, whose role of special manager has been extended to the end of September.
Ms Frecklington said it was important for the public to have confidence in The Star and the government would continue to assess its remediation progress during the six-month deferral period.
"This deferral does not prevent us from taking immediate action should The Star fail to meet its remediation obligations," she said.
Mr Weeks' latest report on the Gold Coast casino said Star's management had worked actively on remediation.
"Progress has been made in a short space of time and in challenging circumstances," he said.
Star earlier in March confirmed it was discussing a $940 million refinancing proposal with Salter Brothers Capital after the casino company's shares were put in a trading halt.
SGR Price at posting:
11.0¢ Sentiment: Buy Disclosure: Held
A personalised tool to help users track selected stocks. Delivering real-time notifications on price updates, announcements, and performance stats on each to help make informed investment decisions.
(20min delay)