The Star accepts AUSTRAC penalty, engages with lenders over credit review

The casino group will pay the fine in four instalments over 19 months as it engages with lender WhiteHawk Capital Partners.

Key takeaways:

• The Star Entertainment Group has formally accepted a AU$260m (US$183m) civil penalty imposed by Australia’s Federal Court for historical anti-money laundering breaches.
• The penalty comprises AU$195m for The Star Sydney and AU$65m for The Star Queensland.
• The group will pay the penalty in four instalments over 19 months.

Australia.- The Star Entertainment Group has accepted the AU$260m (US$183m) civil penalty imposed by the Federal Court of Australia for historical anti-money laundering (AML) breaches. It said the payment schedule will not impact its ability to continue as a going concern.

In an ASX announcement published on October 29, the operator acknowledged the judgment handed down on October 28 in civil proceedings brought by AUSTRAC against its subsidiaries, The Star Pty Limited and The Star Entertainment Qld Limited. Under the ruling delivered by Justice Cameron Moore, The Star Sydney was ordered to pay AU$195m (US$137.3m) and The Star Queensland AU$65m (US$45.8m). The group will settle the penalty in four instalments over a 19-month period.

Commenting on the ruling, Soo Kim, chairman of The Star Entertainment Group, stressed that the current leadership was not involved in the historical non-compliance between November 2016 and November 2022 that prompted the regulatory action. “Given that the current ownership and management team had nothing to do with the actions that gave rise to the proceedings, we commend the work of AUSTRAC and the Federal Court,” Kim said.

He added said the company was keen to demonstrate that it now possesses “the right leadership, internal culture, and operational processes to eliminate the kind of behaviours that the penalty is meant to dissuade.”

The Star noted that the AU$260m figure is materially in line with the provision recorded in its 2026 Financial Statements. Although the penalty quantum and payment structure trigger a review event under its credit facility agreement with WhiteHawk Capital Partners, announced in May 2026, the group stated it is actively engaging with the lender and remains confident that the facility will remain available.

The judgment concludes civil penalty proceedings initiated by AUSTRAC in 2022 following extensive compliance failures involving high-risk patrons and unrecorded third-party transactions.