The Star Sydney will remain under independent management until at least 30 June 2027 after New South Wales regulators extended oversight of the casino amid continuing concerns over governance, leadership and corporate culture.
The NSW Independent Casino Commission (NICC) requested the extension of manager Nick Weeks’ appointment, with the state’s Minister for Gaming and Racing amending the Casino Control Regulation 2019 accordingly. Weeks will continue to hold the casino licence on behalf of The Star Pty Limited for another nine months while the operator’s licence remains suspended.
The arrangement allows gaming operations at The Star Sydney to continue despite the company still being unable to operate independently under its own licence.
Remediation remains under scrutiny
The NICC said The Star had made substantial progress since its licence was suspended in October 2022, but the regulator is not yet satisfied that reforms addressing governance, leadership and workplace culture have been embedded strongly enough for independent control to resume.
Chief Commissioner Philip Crawford said recent allegations involving governance, leadership and culture were being treated seriously. The regulator also wants The Star Sydney and parent company The Star Entertainment Group to demonstrate that improvements can be sustained without continued regulatory intervention.
The Star Sydney lost independent control of its casino licence following the first Bell inquiry in 2022, which identified serious misconduct, compliance failures and major shortcomings in corporate culture. Weeks was appointed independent manager in October 2022 and his term has since been extended several times.
A second Bell review in 2024 concluded that The Star remained unsuitable to operate the casino. The NICC subsequently imposed an AU$15 million penalty and introduced additional requirements covering governance, risk management, customer due diligence and senior personnel.
AUSTRAC proceedings still unresolved
The regulator also highlighted the continuing uncertainty surrounding Federal Court proceedings brought by AUSTRAC against The Star Pty Limited and The Star Entertainment Qld Limited.
AUSTRAC launched the case in November 2022, alleging serious and systemic breaches of Australia’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing laws. Its allegations include inadequate money-laundering risk assessments, weaknesses in transaction monitoring and enhanced customer due diligence, insufficient board and senior-management oversight, and failures involving higher-risk customers. The proceedings remain listed by AUSTRAC as ongoing.
Separate ASIC proceedings have also resulted in penalties against former Star executives. In June 2026, former chief executive Mathias Bekier was fined AU$700,000 and disqualified from managing corporations for six years, while former senior legal and risk executive Paula Martin received an AU$400,000 penalty and a seven-year disqualification. The Federal Court had found that both breached their duties in their handling of money-laundering and criminal-activity risks. Both filed appeals in July.
The NICC said uncertainties around the AUSTRAC case and The Star Entertainment Group’s ability to support the Sydney casino while filling key leadership and governance positions must be resolved before the suspension can be lifted.
However, the extension to June 2027 does not create a fixed date for the casino to regain control of its licence. The NICC said the suspension could be lifted earlier if The Star demonstrates that its remediation programme has been effectively embedded and can operate sustainably without external management.