The Star casino has received show cause notices after the recent Gotterson Review, which found institutional failings and deemed the casino “unsuitable” to hold its license. The notices require Star to provide evidence by 25 November to prevent potential enforcement action. The available actions under Queensland law range from a letter of censure to the cancellation or suspension of the casino’s license, and can include penalties up to AU$100m.
The review highlighted operational failures at The Star Gold Coast and Treasury Brisbane casinos. State Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman issued the notices, giving the entities an opportunity to justify why disciplinary action should not be taken. New legislation ensures that the government has various disciplinary options after the show cause process.
Star’s controversial activities have been observed in multiple states and venues. An investigation in New South Wales concluded that the operator was an unsuitable licensee, as it misled banks and regulators about Chinese UnionPay transactions, engaged with individuals linked to organized crime, and had inadequate social responsibility, anti-money laundering, and counter terrorist financing strategies.
