The Star Entertainment Group on Tuesday said it has been informed by the ILGA that the regular review of its Sydney license will include a public hearing component focused on its internal AML practices.
The review, which is considering how effectively The Star is complying with its statutory obligations and whether it remains suitable to hold a casino licence, started four weeks ago and is being led by Adam Bell SC, who found Crown Resorts to be unsuitable to hold a license in Sydney.
This is a regulator review required under the Casino Control Act. However, Australia’s casinos have been under increased scrutiny after a series of inquiries into Crown Resorts business practices.
More recently, The Star found itself to be under a similar firing line after a media investigation found it engaging in many of the same improper practices that landed Crown Resorts in various Royal Commission inquiries over the last year.
Mr Bell has advised ILGA that he considers it in the public’s interest to hold public hearings on matters including but not limited to The Star’s maintenance and administration of systems to counter money laundering and infiltration by organised crime.
ILGA said it is fully supportive of Mr Bell’s decision, with hearings expected to be held in March 2022.
The publicly available report will be due to ILGA by 30 June 2022.
Regular reviews of casinos in NSW are required under the Casino Control Act. The last review of The Star was conducted in 2016 by Jonathan Horton QC.
In a press release, The Star Entertainment Group said it welcomes the opportunity to fully cooperate with the review, in all manner required by Mr Bell SC and will continue to comply with all requests for information and documents.
