NICC Extends Star Sydney’s Casino License Suspension Until 2027

The New South Wales Independent Casino Commission (NICC) has extended the suspension of Star Entertainment’s license to operate its Star Sydney casino until June 2027. The regulator came to this decision as it thinks that the gambling operator has not yet proved it has fully fixed its problems with governance, leadership and culture remediation. Regulator Remains Unconvinced Star Sydney’s Improvements Are Enough Since October 2022, Star Sydney has been operating under a suspended casino licence. This followed the landmark Bell inquiry, which found the operator unsuitable due to serious failures in money laundering controls, governance and compliance. While NICC Chief Commissioner Philip Crawford acknowledged that Star Sydney had made significant progress in addressing regulatory issues, he was unconvinced that the improvements would be sustained. He said it was disappointing that, despite the progress made by the Sydney casino, the group company continued to experience issues affecting each of its properties. Crawford also added that the NICC would be closely monitoring how The Star Sydney and The Star Entertainment addressed these issues. Both companies, he said, needed to demonstrate to the NICC that they had learned from past mistakes and were capable of resolving the cultural issues without requiring intervention from the NICC. Ultimately, he explained, it was Star’s responsibility to demonstrate its commitment to its remediation efforts and prove that it could address the underlying issues and ensure that these measures are sustained over the long term. How Did We End Up Here? The whole drama started back in 2022, when The Star Sydney allegedly misled the National Australia Bank over suspicious transactions involving more than AUD 900 million (about $664 million). This eventually led to the previously mentioned Bell “Bell Inquiry”, as it was spearheaded by SC Adam Bell. As a result, Star Sydney has been operating under a suspended casino license since October of 2022. The initial suspension was supposed to last until March 2025, but the NICC added 6 months to it. Later, more extensions to the suspension period were added, and as of now, the casino will have to operate under a suspended casino license until June of next year. In addition, the NICC highlighted Star’s ongoing civil proceedings with AUSTRAC, Australia’s financial crime watchdog. AUSTRAC has alleged serious and systemic breaches of the country’s anti-money-laundering laws and is seeking an AUD 400 million (about $281 million) penalty. The factual matters in the case were resolved ahead of a penalty hearing in June 2025. However, the Federal Court has yet to hand down its final judgment. Earlier this year, AUSTRAC admitted that legal action against Star Entertainment was slow, but necessary. While the NICC has yet to renew The Star Sydney’s license, it has also slapped the operator with a hefty fine of AUD 10 million (about $7.2 million) earlier this summer. Evidently, however, this wasn’t enough to convince the regulator to lift Star’s suspension.