The Star Entertainment Group posts net revenue of US$271.5m for Q3

Net revenue was down 4.6 per cent in year-on-year terms.

Australia.- The Star Entertainment Group has reported net revenue of AU$419.2m (US$271.5m) for the third quarter of the financial year 2024. Revenue was down 4.6 per cent year-on-year. Revenue was highest in January (AU$146.6m).

Revenue from premium gaming rooms decreased across all properties. The Star Sydney saw a 19.3 per cent decline in revenue from premium gaming rooms, while The Star Gold Coast and Treasury Brisbane saw a 20 per cent and 28 per cent decrease, respectively. However, revenue from the main gaming floor increased by 5.4 per cent at The Star Sydney, 4.6 per cent at The Star Gold Coast, and 6.4 per cent at Treasury Brisbane. 

Gaming levies and taxes amounted to AU$105m, down 2.9 per cent when compared to the previous year. Operating expenses were AU$276.3m, up 4.2 per cent in year-on-year terms. The net loss after tax was AU$6.8m compated to AU$49.7m in the third quarter of 2023.

The company reported that negotiations for the sale of the Treasury Casino, Hotel and car park were progressing. As regards the phased opening of Queen’s Wharf Brisbane, the casino operator said it remains on track for August 2024 with the gaming floors on levels 5 and 6 handed over to the company.

The Star inquiry: failures in welfare checks and faulty machines

Earlier this week, the New South Wales Independent Casino Commission (NICC) started a second inquiry into The Star’s casino in Sydney. Nicholas Weeks told the first hearing that the operator falsified welfare checks on players. Weeks was appointed special manager of the casino by the NSW Independent Casino Commission (NICC) in October 2022 when the regulator suspended the company’s licence.

He further stated that Liquor and Gaming NSW officers found that Star Sydney failed to complete welfare checks on customers who played on machines for more than three hours. He said customer support officers falsified the compliance log to indicate that the check had been completed. It was found that this was a common occurrence in Sydney, which led to an investigation into Star’s Brisbane and Gold Coast locations named “Operation Falskur”.

Weeks was worried that the breaches were only discovered by Liquor and Gaming inspectors and not by staff within the company.