The Star Entertainment

The Star Entertainment Group is one of Australia's largest casino and integrated resort operators, founded in 1985 and headquartered in Sydney. The company operates three major Australian properties — The Star Sydney (NSW), The Star Gold Coast (Queensland), and Treasury Brisbane (Queensland) — and is listed on the ASX (ASX: SGR). The Star competes with Crown Resorts in the Australian casino market, with properties in Sydney, Gold Coast, and Brisbane.

The Star's flagship property, The Star Sydney, is Sydney's premier casino and entertainment destination at Pyrmont, featuring 350+ hotel rooms (The Darling hotel), 1,500+ electronic gaming machines, 200+ gaming tables, 20+ restaurants and bars, and extensive entertainment venues. The Star Gold Coast is Queensland's largest casino, while Treasury Brisbane is a heritage-listed casino in Brisbane's CBD. The Star also operates the Queen's Wharf Brisbane development — a A$3.6 billion integrated resort project (opened 2024) that is one of Queensland's largest tourism developments.

The Star Entertainment Group is licensed and regulated by state gaming regulators — the NSW Independent Casino Commission (NICC), Queensland Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation (OLGR), and the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) for AML compliance. The company faced significant regulatory challenges in 2022-2024 (Bell Inquiry in NSW, Gotterson Review in Queensland) over governance, AML, and junket-related issues, similar to Crown Resorts, leading to enhanced regulatory oversight and remediation efforts.

The Star Sydney

The Star Sydney is The Star's flagship property, located at Pyrmont in Sydney. The property features 350+ hotel rooms and suites (The Darling hotel — a luxury boutique hotel), 1,500+ electronic gaming machines, 200+ gaming tables (baccarat, blackjack, roulette, sic bo, poker), 20+ restaurants and bars (including Sokyo, BLACK Bar & Grill, and Flying Fish), the 2,000-seat Event Centre, and extensive entertainment venues. The Star Sydney is Sydney's premier casino and entertainment destination, competing with Crown Sydney.

The Star Gold Coast

The Star Gold Coast (formerly Jupiters Gold Coast) is Queensland's largest casino, located in Broadbeach on the Gold Coast. The property features 600+ hotel rooms (The Darling Gold Coast, The Star Grand Gold Coast), 1,400+ electronic gaming machines, 200+ gaming tables, 20+ restaurants and bars, and extensive entertainment facilities. The Star Gold Coast is a major tourism destination on the Gold Coast and has undergone significant renovation and expansion.

Treasury Brisbane

Treasury Brisbane is a heritage-listed casino located in Brisbane's CBD, housed in the historic Treasury Building (1899). The property features 130+ hotel rooms (Treasury Hotel), 1,000+ electronic gaming machines, 100+ gaming tables, 10+ restaurants and bars, and a boutique luxury experience. Treasury Brisbane is being replaced by the new Queen's Wharf Brisbane development.

Queen's Wharf Brisbane

Queen's Wharf Brisbane is The Star's A$3.6 billion integrated resort development in Brisbane's CBD, opened in 2024. The development features 1,000+ hotel rooms across multiple luxury hotels (including The Star Grand Brisbane, Dorsett, and Rosewood), a casino, 50+ restaurants and bars, extensive retail, public spaces, and a sky deck with views of the Brisbane River. Queen's Wharf is one of Queensland's largest tourism developments and replaces Treasury Brisbane as The Star's Brisbane property.

The Darling Hotels

The Darling is The Star's luxury boutique hotel brand, operating at The Star Sydney, The Star Gold Coast, and Queen's Wharf Brisbane. The Darling hotels offer luxury accommodation with premium amenities, targeting high-end customers and complementing the gaming and entertainment offerings.

1985 — Foundation (Jupiters Gold Coast)

The Star's origins trace back to Jupiters Gold Coast (now The Star Gold Coast), which opened in 1985 as Queensland's first casino. Jupiters was listed on the ASX and became a major Queensland tourism destination.

1995 — Star City Sydney Opening

Star City Sydney (now The Star Sydney) opened in 1995 as Sydney's first casino, located at Pyrmont. Star City competed with Crown Melbourne and became a major Sydney entertainment destination.

2011 — The Star Entertainment Group Formation

The Star Entertainment Group was formed in 2011 when Echo Entertainment Group (which had acquired Jupiters and Star City) rebranded as The Star Entertainment Group. The company was listed on the ASX (ASX: SGR) as a pure-play Australian casino operator.

2015-2017 — Property Renovations & Rebranding

The Star undertook significant renovations and rebranding across its properties, including the rebranding of Jupiters Gold Coast to The Star Gold Coast (2017) and the development of The Darling luxury boutique hotel brand. The investments modernized The Star's properties and positioned them for the premium and VIP segments.

2017 — Queen's Wharf Brisbane Announcement

The Star announced plans for Queen's Wharf Brisbane — a A$3.6 billion integrated resort development in Brisbane's CBD. The development was designed to replace Treasury Brisbane and establish The Star as a major player in the Brisbane tourism market.

2022 — Regulatory Inquiries (Bell & Gotterson)

The Star faced regulatory inquiries in 2022 — the Bell Inquiry (NSW) and Gotterson Review (Queensland) — which found The Star unsuitable to hold casino licenses due to governance, AML, and junket-related issues, similar to Crown Resorts. The inquiries led to significant fines, enhanced regulatory oversight, and remediation efforts.

2024 — Queen's Wharf Brisbane Opening

Queen's Wharf Brisbane opened in 2024 — The Star's A$3.6 billion integrated resort development in Brisbane's CBD. The development features multiple luxury hotels, a casino, 50+ restaurants and bars, and extensive public spaces, establishing The Star as a major player in the Brisbane tourism market.

The Star Entertainment Group is committed to responsible gambling under enhanced regulatory oversight following the 2022 regulatory inquiries, with comprehensive player protection measures and strict compliance with Australian state gaming regulations.

Multi-State Regulatory Compliance

The Star operates under licenses from the NSW Independent Casino Commission (NICC) (The Star Sydney), Queensland Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation (OLGR) (The Star Gold Coast, Treasury Brisbane, Queen's Wharf Brisbane), and is subject to AUSTRAC AML oversight. Each license requires strict adherence to state responsible gambling regulations, with enhanced oversight following the regulatory inquiries.

Player Protection Measures

• Age Verification: Strict 18+ age verification at entry to all Star casinos, per Australian law.
• Self-Exclusion: Players can voluntarily exclude themselves from Star casinos. Each state also operates government-run self-exclusion programs, and The Star is required to enforce exclusions.
• Staff Training: All customer-facing staff complete responsible gambling training, including identification of problem gambling behavior and intervention procedures. Enhanced training requirements were imposed following the regulatory inquiries.
• Information Resources: Responsible gambling information is displayed prominently throughout Star properties, with contact details for state problem gambling support services (Gambling Help Online, Lifeline).

Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Compliance

The Star implements comprehensive AML and KYC procedures following the regulatory inquiries, which identified significant AML compliance failures. The company has invested heavily in enhanced AML/KYC systems, transaction monitoring, suspicious activity reporting, and customer due diligence. AUSTRAC imposed significant penalties for historical AML failures.

Junket Prohibition

Following the regulatory inquiries, The Star prohibited junket operators — a significant change from its historical VIP junket strategy. The prohibition aligns with Australian regulatory expectations and reduces the regulatory and financial risks associated with junket operations, similar to Crown Resorts and the Macau junket crackdown.