Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
AAP
AAP
Business
Sam McKeith

Star report due for NSW gaming authority

The NSW gaming authority is yet to confirm if it has received a royal commission-style report into the future of embattled NSW gaming venue The Star Sydney.

The report, from a months-long review helmed by Adam Bell SC into the fitness of The Star to hold a casino licence, was due to be handed to the NSW Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority on Wednesday.

The damning review held 46 days of public hearings into the Sydney casino, with lawyers assisting the inquiry arguing the venue was unsuitable to hold a licence.

It was told of the controversial use of Chinese debit cards, links to notorious Macau-based junket operator Suncity, the misleading of banks and an illicit cage that operated in an exclusive high-roller room known as Salon 95.

The legal team for Star Entertainment, which owns the establishment, contended it was a suitable entity after a clean-out of senior management.

Several Star managers resigned during the probe, including chief executive Matt Bekier, chief financial officer Harry Theodore, chief legal and risk officer Paula Martin and chief casino officer Greg Hawkins.

John O'Neill, who tendered his resignation as chairman in May, admitted during the inquiry that the board failed to encourage a culture of risk management.

The inquiry prompted a shareholder class action against the gambling giant by law firm Slater and Gordon.

It also sparked a similar inquiry into the ASX-listed company's two Queensland casinos, with that review also told of questionable operational practices.

The NSW inquiry was called after media reports accusing Star Entertainment of enabling suspected money laundering, organised crime, fraud and foreign interference at its gaming facilities, including The Star Sydney.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.