Star Sydney's Licence Suspension Extended Until June 2027

^{The Star casino in Sydney, whose licence suspension has been extended by the NSW Independent Casino Commission until 30 June 2027. (Photo: Lenny K Photography / Wikimedia Commons)}

NICC Cites Unresolved Governance Concerns

The NSW Independent Casino Commission (NICC) has extended the suspension of The Star Entertainment Group's Sydney casino licence for a further nine months, meaning the venue will remain under external management until 30 June 2027.

The regulator said the decision followed allegations of governance failings across the business, raised in a joint investigation by the Australian Financial Review, the Sydney Morning Herald and the Age, which it described as serious. NICC chief commissioner Philip Crawford said the Bruce Mathieson jnr-led business still had more work to do before it could win back its licence.

Nicholas Weeks will continue as special manager and licence holder of The Star Sydney under the extension, allowing the casino to keep operating its gaming facilities while the suspension remains in place. The move comes a day after authorities in Queensland separately extended Weeks' appointment as special manager of The Star Gold Coast.

Nearly Four Years Under External Control

The extension marks close to four years since The Star's Sydney casino first lost its independent operating rights in October 2022, following findings from the Bell Inquiry into the company's suitability to hold a casino licence.

"These are all issues which need to be resolved before the NICC can lift The Star's licence suspension, which can occur at any time if the casino can demonstrate that its remediation efforts have been properly embedded in the business," Crawford said in the regulator's statement.

Crawford acknowledged the company had made some progress but said questions remained over its governance, leadership and culture remediation programme, which he called essential before independent operation could resume. Star Entertainment Group shares fell more than 10% on the day the extension was announced.

The latest setback continues a long-running saga for the casino operator, which has faced repeated scrutiny since link_text_goes_here first uncovered evidence of money laundering and regulatory failures at the venue.

The NICC said the suspension will remain until it is confident the required reforms are "firmly embedded and sustainable" within the business, without setting a fixed date for The Star to regain independent control.

A Costly Remediation Process

The Star has spent hundreds of millions of dollars since 2022 on remediation efforts including new governance structures, compliance systems and management appointments, in an attempt to satisfy the NICC that it can be trusted to operate independently again. The company was fined AU$100 million at the time its Sydney licence was first suspended, following findings that it had allowed money laundering and breached its obligations under anti-money-laundering law.

Investors have grown increasingly impatient with the pace of the process, reflected in Friday's sharp share price fall. Analysts covering the company have said continued extensions raise questions about how much longer The Star's board and major shareholder can sustain the costs of external management before more fundamental changes to the business, potentially including asset sales, become necessary. The NICC has given no indication of when it might next review the suspension ahead of the new June 2027 deadline.

Source: Australian Financial Review (citing the NICC's statement)