Legal Counsel For Star Entertainment Makes Final Plea To Hold On To Sydney License

Star Entertainment’s legal counsel has made a final, impassioned plea, acknowledging the company’s past transgressions while arguing that its leadership’s commitment to reform should be the deciding factor in the commission’s decision.

The NICC inquiry has shed light on a troubling history of regulatory breaches and corporate misconduct at Star Entertainment’s Sydney casino. Evidence presented during the three-week investigation has revealed a litany of failures, including a $3.2 million fraud committed by customers and the falsification of welfare checks on problem gamblers.

Furthermore, the inquiry uncovered internal communications that painted a concerning picture of the company’s relationship with its regulators. Former Star executive chair David Foster and ex-CEO Robbie Cooke were found to have exchanged messages about “prepping for war” with the authorities, a clear indication of the adversarial approach adopted by the company’s leadership.

In a bold move, Star Entertainment’s legal counsel, Bret Walker SC, has conceded that the company’s past conduct was “regrettable and deplorable.” However, he has argued that these past mistakes should not be the sole determining factor in the commission’s decision regarding the casino operator’s suitability to retain its Sydney license.

Walker has emphasized that the regulator has responded appropriately to the issues and that the likelihood of such transgressions being repeated is now “unlikely.” He has urged the inquiry head, Adam Bell SC, to view the company’s past “convulsions” as a necessary part of its corporate history, one that “promises real improvement.”

A key aspect of Star Entertainment’s defense has been the acknowledgment that running a business, particularly one that relies on attracting customers to gamble, inherently involves a certain degree of risk and uncertainty. Walker has argued that the “suitability assessment” undertaken by the commission should not be viewed as an “absolute state of affairs” but rather a relative evaluation of the risks involved.

The barrister has contended that the commission cannot be expected to have a “crystal ball and a calendar” to predict the future of the company’s operations. Instead, he has suggested that the decision should be based on Star Entertainment’s ability to provide “clear and convincing evidence” of its current operations and finances, allowing the commission to make a balanced assessment of the company’s capacity to retain the Sydney license.

Despite Star Entertainment’s efforts to convince the commission of its suitability, the inquiry has continued to uncover ongoing regulatory failures at the casino. Evidence has shown that the company is still struggling to maintain adequate oversight, with the inquiry hearing about a $3.2 million fraud committed against the company by customers and the falsification of welfare checks on problem gamblers.

These revelations have raised significant concerns about the company’s ability to address the deep-seated issues that have plagued its operations. The commission now faces the daunting task of weighing the company’s promises of reform against the persistent evidence of its inability to effectively self-regulate.

The outcome of the NICC inquiry into Star Entertainment’s suitability to retain its Sydney casino license will have far-reaching implications for the broader Australian casino industry. A decision to revoke the license would send a strong message about the importance of regulatory compliance and corporate governance in the sector.

Moreover, such a decision could have a ripple effect, prompting other regulators to scrutinize the practices of other casino operators more closely. This could lead to a heightened focus on industry-wide reforms, potentially paving the way for stricter regulations and increased oversight to ensure the integrity and accountability of the Australian casino landscape.

As the NICC inquiry nears its conclusion, the fate of Star Entertainment’s Sydney casino license hangs in the balance. The company’s final plea for redemption has been met with a mixture of skepticism and cautious optimism, as the commission grapples with the complex task of weighing the company’s past transgressions against its promises of reform.