Australian gaming operator The Star has announced that it has also had its casino license suspension for its Gold Coast operation deferred until September 30th of 2026, by order of the Queensland state government.
Both the authorities and the gaming operator issued statements regarding the change, noting that the acting Special Manager, Nicholas Weeks, would remain in his supervisory role until the end of the newly extended period.
This comes just one day after the company’s Sydney casino license suspension was further extended, until March 31st of 2026. The ongoing supervision also falls under Nicholas Weeks.
The government indicated that the gaming operator’s remediation efforts had made ‘steady progress’ but that it was ‘slower than anticipated, due to The Star’s recent financial challenges and uncertainty’.
These refer to the group’s Bally’s takeover and the attempted disposal of its holdings in Queen’s Wharf Brisbane to its Hong Kong-listed partners.
The Queensland government notes that the 12-month deferral ‘will provide The Star with the opportunity to continue to implement and embed key deliverables under its remediation plan’.
Without the deferral, The Star Gold Coast’s license would have been suspended for 90 days from September 30th.
Speaking of the change, Acting Attorney-General and Minister for Justice and Minister for Integrity Jarrod Bleijie noted that “We will continue to closely monitor The Star’s remediation progress to ensure key milestones are met”. The official furthered that “This deferral does not prevent us from taking immediate action should The Star fail to meet its remediation obligations”.
In response, The Star’s Group CEO and Managing Director Steve McCann noted that “We acknowledge there is more work to do, but we are pleased the Special Manager has recognized the steady progress on The Star’s remediation efforts, including those measures identified as key priorities”.
