Star Entertainment’s Sydney casino licence suspension extended until 2027

The Star Entertainment’s Sydney casino will remain under external management until 30 June 2027, following a decision by the New South Wales Independent Casino Commission (NICC). 

On Friday, the regulator cited ongoing concerns about the company’s governance, leadership and corporate culture as key factors for extending its suspension.

The extension prolongs the tenure of manager Nick Weeks and permits the casino to continue operating its gaming facilities while its licence suspension persists.

‘The Star has come a long way’

NICC Chief Commissioner Philip Crawford acknowledged the progress made but emphasised that questions remained regarding its governance, leadership and culture remediation which are crucial to ensuring that the casino can operate under its own licence again.

“There is no doubt that The Star has come a long way in addressing the matters which led to the suspension of its casino licence in 2022,” Crawford said in the regulator’s update.

“It is disappointing that despite the progress made by the Sydney casino, the group company continues to experience problems that affect each of its properties.

“The NICC will be watching carefully to see how The Star and The Star Entertainment Group resolve these issues. Both companies need to demonstrate to the NICC that they have learned from past mistakes and can resolve these cultural issues without the need for the NICC’s intervention,” he added.

“Ultimately it is The Star’s responsibility to demonstrate that it believes in its remediation efforts and that they can do the work to ensure its remediation sticks long-term.”

Another extension

The extension marks nearly four years since The Star’s Sydney casino lost independent operating rights in October 2022, following findings from the Bell inquiry. It was fined AU$100 million ($70,286) at the time.

Since then, the NICC has progressively extended the licence suspension and maintained external management under Weeks. 

The Star has been engaged in a remediation programme addressing compliance, risk management, ethics and senior management reforms.

In a March 2025 statement, Commissioner Crawford noted continuing advancements but highlighted “ongoing uncertainty surrounding its finances” as a barrier to faster progress. 

‘Issues which need to be resolved’

The regulator has pointed out unresolved uncertainties regarding critical leadership positions and the outcomes of ongoing civil proceedings initiated by the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) in Federal Court.

As part of the civil proceedings, two former senior executives of The Star Entertainment Group were found by Australia’s Federal Court to have breached the Corporations Act 2001, due to failures in managing and reporting money-laundering and criminal-activity risks.  

“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,” Mr Crawford added.

Former fines

The suspension will continue until the Commission is confident the required reforms are firmly embedded and sustainable.

Meanwhile, Weeks remains at the helm under the regulator’s supervision, managing Sydney’s most high-profile casino licence situation. 

Earlier this year, the NICC reported that Crown Sydney and The Star Sydney had been fined a combined total of AU$2.25 million ($1.61 million) after a 16-year-old repeatedly accessed their gaming floors by using fraudulent identification documents.