The casino was closed mid-March, with the recent permission to open its doors on 1 June, catering to invited loyalty club members, which increased gradually to a maximum of 900 guests in mid-June. Food courts and private gaming rooms were also restricted. 

With the reopening, the casino will now allow a maximum of 5,000 guests, complying with the New South Wales Government requirement to accommodate one person per four square meters.

The gaming tables and electronic gaming machines will resume work as long as the guests keep a 1.5 meters distance from one another. International VIPs will finally have a chance to see the upgraded Sovereign room. Its unveiling was delayed due to the virus outbreak and the formal opening ceremony will take place in August. 

Matt Bekier, Star Entertainment Group managing director and CEO, said, “The health and well-being of our customers and staff remain paramount as we move to this next stage of reopening our properties.”

He added that the restricted resumption of work at the Star Sidney ensured that safety procedures all work as intended, and the casino is ready to welcome back the guests and “approximately 3,000 employees”, after laying off close to 8,000 workers when the lockdown began.  

Together with the grand re-opening, Star group is aiming to resume work in two more venues: The Star Gold Coast and Treasury Brisbane. The reopening is set for 3 July, with 2,600 guest capacity for Gold Coast and 2,300 visitors for Treasury Brisbane.