The Star Entertainment Group (The Star) announced on Monday that electronic gaming equipment in all casinos belonging to the gambling giant has been shut down since July 13th and will remain inoperative until further notice. According to The Star, the problem has to do with performance issues that emerged after the implementation of upgrades meant to facilitate cashless gaming.
Carded play, as cashless gaming is often referred to, is a new harm-minimisation measure introduced by the gambling regulators of New South Wales and Victoria. This new technology makes it so that patrons can play electronic casino games only via the usage of player cards or smartphone apps tied to the system. As a result, casinos can perform identity verification automatically, and clients have access to a range of responsible gambling tools facilitated by the system. This includes spending limits, self-exclusion, and more.
Initial Trials Were Conducted Earlier This Year
Although official NSW-supervised trials of the technology began in March, The Star’s own testing of the system was conducted the month prior. The measure is a part of the NSW Government’s efforts to address problem gambling, which encompass carded play, the mandatory employment of Responsible Gambling Officers who are tasked with monitoring clients who play gaming machines, and limitations surrounding where ATMs can be positioned with regard to their visibility and ease of access when it comes to casino gaming.
The performance issues identified by The Star after last week’s upgrades, however, left Treasury Brisbane, The Star Gold Coast, and The Star Sydney without operational electronic gaming machines or electronic table games. Restaurants, traditional table games, and other forms of entertainment offered to clients of the three locations will continue operating as usual as The Star works with external provider Konami to resolve the problem.
New Leadership
July 15th also saw an announcement that after receiving mandatory regulatory approvals from the relevant entities, Neale O’Connell and Janelle Campbell have officially joined The Star Sydney’s board. Mr O’Connell is now serving as Interim Group Chief Financial Officer, while Ms Campbell has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer. In addition, Steve McCann was named Group CEO of The Star Entertainment Group in June.
These leadership changes mark a new chapter in The Star’s road to recovering from a prolonged period of regulatory and financial hardship. The company came under fire in recent years for a range of problems that had to do with money laundering. Namely, in 2022, the New South Wales Independent Casino Commission (NICC) decided that The Star could not retain its licence after an inquiry led by Adam Bell SC uncovered that the company had failed to prevent money laundering. The Star was also handed a fine of AU$100 million and mandated to begin remediation procedures. Another investigation, once again under the supervision of Adam Bell SC, commenced earlier this year and is currently underway.
- Author
Daniel Williams
