Star’s former managing director Greg Hawkins has reached a mid-trial settlement with the corporate regulator in its case over the casino operator’s alleged lax money laundering compliance.
Embattled casino operator Star Entertainment has rejected offers to buy out its stake in the $3.6 billion Queens Wharf entertainment district project in Brisbane.
Troubled casino giant Start Entertainment has sold off its Sydney events venue to Foundation Theatres for what has been dubbed a fire sale price of $60 million.
Star Entertainment has been fined $15 million for serious compliance failures, but the NSW gaming watchdog has given the casino operator a chance to retain its Sydney licence.
The judge overseeing AUSTRAC’s case against Star Entertainment has questioned the parties’ agreement to refer questions of fact and law to a former judge for determination, rather than an anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing expert.
The NSW Independent Casino Commission has announced a second inquiry into embattled casino operator Star, amid concerns about its response to Adam Bell SC’s first inquiry.
The Star is challenging a finding from the commissioner of taxation that the casino giant owes $5.3 million on payments made to junket operators, arguing the payments were not ‘payments for operating or promoting a junket’.
The winning, 14 per cent contingency fee proposal by Slater & Gordon in a fight to run a class action against Star Entertainment was not driven by a desire to prevail in the contest and buy market share but was the product of a “reasoned decision” that took into account the law firm’s practice as a whole, a judge has found.
One law firm has emerged victorious in a four-way contest to run a shareholder class action against Star Entertainment with the lowest proposed group costs order since contingency fees legislation was enacted in Victoria.
Star Entertainment coughed up $595 million in regulatory and legal costs in the 2023 financial year, as it faces ongoing disputes with ASIC and AUSTRAC and an $80 million class action.