The Star ASX: SGR: How a Sydney casino was brought undone

The Star houses 1490 gaming machines, 34 poker tables and 7 table games, alongside an array of slot machines, bingo, and poker games. Covering a splendid area of 104,450 square feet, the casino is a labyrinth of extravagant gaming options and exquisite lifestyle experiences. This lavish establishment is owned by Gaming and Leisure Properties Inc. (GLPI), known globally for their luxurious gaming and entertainment establishments. The Star Casino is no exception to their commitment to providing nothing but the best Aussie slots payouts 2026. The newly branded ‘The Star’ consists of a 24/7 casino with two gaming floors, an exclusive V.I.P. section, eight bars, seven restaurants, The Marquee nightclub, and the 2,000 seat Lyric Theatre.

Ross Greenwood who is the business editor at Sky News reported "Sources close to the financially troubled Star Entertainment have revealed to us that the company could enter administration within a week as its cash reserves again run dry". Later that month Oaktree Capital Management offered a $650 million loan to help refinance the company's debt. On 10 February 2025 Star announced it knocked back 'several' inquiries from prospective foreign investors for Queen's Warf, citing that they undervalued the asset, but is in talks with CTFE and FEC on whether to relinquish its stake in Queen's Warf. Later in February, it was reported that Blackstone Group was mulling an acquisition of Star Entertainment Group. Blackstone already is in the global casino business and owns Australian rival Crown Resorts so it may not go through on anti-competition concerns, though reports speculate authorities' stance may be soften in this special case.

The Star Sydney blends luxury hotel stays, innovative dining, competitive gaming, and entertainment excellence into a single iconic venue on Darling Harbour. As a cornerstone of city tourism and nightlife, The Star delivers a memorable Australian casino Litecoin casino experience—whether for high-stakes play, gourmet indulgence, or evening events. Its reputation for fairness, safety, and relentless innovation keeps guests returning, making it a must-visit destination for anyone exploring Sydney’s leisure scene.

The Star also boasts 351 hotel rooms and 130 serviced and privately owned apartments, and is famous for overlooking Darling Harbour. Further inquiries led to the loss of its licences and this ASIC legal battle, as well as legal action by financial crime regulator AUSTRAC over the money-laundering breaches. The admission by Theodore, who faces a fine and ban from managing a corporation, is not a big surprise. At the 2022 hearing into whether Star should retain its casino licence, he admitted to acting unethically when approving communications from the casino to NAB that tried to disguise banned gambling transactions as hotel expenses. In 2022, an NSW inquiry concluded that Star Entertainment was unsuitable to possess a gaming license in the state. The probe found widespread evidence that The Star Sydney did little to combat money laundering at its casino and keep criminal syndicates off the property. Australia’s second-largest flamingo casino withdrawal operator, Star has agreed to pay an AU$15 million (US$10 million) penalty after the NSW Independent Casino Commission (NICC) determined that the company remains noncompliant regarding regulatory obedience.

"Pubs and clubs don’t have the same restrictions that Star has, which is obviously hurting, and the VIP players that used to be a big part of the casino business have gone, maybe forever. But we do think this is cyclical, and there’s no guarantee that cardless Play online with PayID is not going to apply to pubs and clubs eventually." "We think casinos in Australia will never be the lucrative businesses they once were," Hewitt said. The cost of the Queens Wharf development had blown out by $1 billion, and one of Star’s partners in that project, Chow Tai Fook Enterprises, was facing probity questions. Star’s saving grace was the willingness of the Queensland government, which was counting on the taxes to be generated by the casino, to dismiss concerns that Chow Tai Fook had misled regulators over its links to underworld figures as a misunderstanding. The business model developed by Crown Casino table games and mimicked by Star was the cultivation of Chinese high rollers who were moving their private capital offshore on gambling tour groups known as junkets.

The Star Sydney’s casino is open 24/7, complemented by late-night bars and entertainment. From luxury stays and award-winning dining to live casino tips and tricks shows and memorable experiences, whatever your fun, day or night, it’s all in one unforgettable destination. Despite initial cost estimates, according to Echo Entertainment Group CEO, Larry Mullin the final cost was estimated to be around A$961 million. The Star operates eight bars within the complex with a further two outlets designated as bars and another two external independent outlets able to serve alcohol. Not all the restaurants are managed by The Star with a number of outlets being privately managed. The Star's Harvest Buffet is known for its all you can eat buffet with seafood buffet over the weekend. As in most casinos, the gaming floors of the venue are constantly monitored by a security camera system.