After Adam Bell delivered his report into the casino’s multiple failings, which saw the company linked to organised crime and money laundering, the NSW Independent Casino Commission (NICC) found The Star was unfit to hold a licence.
The Chief Commissioner of the NICC, the body that handed out the huge fine to The Star last week, Philip Crawford said: “The NICC has regard to the fact that had it determined to cancel the licence, thousands of Star employees would have lost their jobs overnight. At this point, the commission did not consider this to be in the public interest.
“The appointment of the manager means that The Star casino will remain open, and all staff will remain employed. It does not mean that the NICC thinks that The Star is suitable for a casino licence.
“At this point, the NICC considers a possibility that The Star could remediate its business to becoming suitable to hold a casino licence.”
The fine arrived on Robbie Cooke’s first day as CEO of The Star, while Nick Weeks has been appointed as the external manager to operate the casino for the next 90 days – which is expected to be extended.
Crawford said of Mr Weeks’ role: “He’s well placed to understand some of the problems. He’s got good experience in this field. He’s respected by us, he’s respected by the current management of The Star.”
“We’ve got confidence that he’ll identify the issues that need to be addressed.”
