The Queensland Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation (OLGR) is now facing questioning over its decision in approving the new licence for Star Brisbane’s casino operations.
According to Australian news media, the regulatory body’s decision was questioned because the approval was given to Star Brisbane despite that Star Entertainment Group was found “unsuitable” to operate a casino in New South Wales.
The ruling on The Star was based on the second Bell report, which was released to the public by the NSW Independent Casino Commission (NICC) a day after Star Brisbane’s opening.
The report was allegedly released to the NICC a month before its public release date, which was one day after Star Brisbane's opening.
Queensland Shadow Attorney-General Tim Nicholls said it was “highly likely someone at the OLGR knew of the Bell report's findings ahead of the licensing decision.”
Queensland Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath said OLGR had been working closely with the NICC to oversee The Star’s remediation progress and had been monitoring the 2024 inquiry into The Star.
“We note the Bell Two report’s findings that The Star remains unsuitable to hold a casino licence in New South Wales,” she said.
“We also acknowledge that NICC has not yet announced its response to the Bell Two report, and we’ll continue to monitor the situation and work through any implications for The Star’s Queensland operations.”
The Star announced the opening of its Queen’s Wharf, Brisbane operations on 29 August, shortly before it also announced a trading halt with immediate effect after receiving notice that the second Bell report by Adam Bell SC has been received by the NICC.
