New South Wales has extended the suspension of The Star Sydney’s casino licence for a further nine months, while keeping Nick Weeks in place as the venue’s manager until June 30, 2027.
The Minister for Gaming and Racing amended the Casino Control Regulation 2019 at the NSW Independent Casino Commission’s request. Weeks will continue to hold The Star Pty Limited’s casino licence during the suspension, enabling the casino’s gaming facilities to remain open.
The commission said The Star had made progress on the failures that prompted the original action, but had not yet settled questions over its governance, leadership and culture. The operator must show that remediation is credible, embedded and sustainable before it can again operate under its own licence.
Philip Crawford, the NICC chief commissioner, said recent allegations concerning governance, leadership and culture were serious. He said The Star and its parent, The Star Entertainment Group, needed to demonstrate that they had learned from past mistakes and could address cultural problems without regulatory intervention.
The regulator may lift the suspension before the new deadline if the company demonstrates that its remediation has been properly embedded. But it said uncertainty remained over the parent group’s ability to support the work while it fills critical leadership and governance posts.
AUSTRAC’s Federal Court civil proceedings remain a separate unresolved consideration for the licence suspension. The financial-crime regulator alleges serious and systemic breaches of Australia’s anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorism-financing laws, including poor governance, risk-management failures and inadequate ongoing customer due diligence over a number of years.
Gambling News reported that AUSTRAC is seeking an A$400 million penalty, and that the factual issues had been resolved before a June 2025 penalty hearing, although the Federal Court had not issued a final judgment.
The Sydney licence was suspended indefinitely in October 2022 following the Bell Review of the casino’s suitability and compliance with legal obligations. The NICC imposed a $100 million fine and appointed Weeks, initially for 90 days; his appointment has since been extended several times.
As we reported in June, the NICC separately ordered The Star Sydney to pay A$10 million and reserve A$5 million for financial-crime technology improvements after disciplinary matters involving historical compliance and responsible-gambling failures.
The latest decision keeps the casino operating under external management while the regulator assesses whether the company’s changes can endure without intervention.
