Star forced to turn off all of its poker machines in three casinos
The under-fire Star Entertainment Group has been forced to switch off all of its poker machines and electronic table games at three Australian casinos.
The Star Brisbane chief executive Daniel Finch in front of the Queen's Wharf project
Just weeks before the firm is due to learn if it has been deemed suitable to keep its lucrative Sydney licence, a major technological glitch forced The Star to close the systems down on Saturday night.
The issue arose as the company upgraded all of its platforms to enable cashless gaming.
The Star’s Sydney licence remains suspended after an inquiry found damning evidence of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism failings, but it has been allowed to keep the casino operating with a regulator-appointed manager.
The NSW government has mandated all of The Star’s gaming machines be cashless by August 30, but the casino group said the required upgrades had caused havoc with its systems.
“Certain of The Star’s systems have been disrupted due to system performance issues identified in post-upgrade testing which resulted in the decision to switch off all electronic gaming machines and electronic table games in each of The Star’s three properties,” it said in a statement on Monday.
“The decision was taken by The Star to ensure compliance with relevant regulations and to maintain the company’s commitment to safer gambling procedures.”
The Star gave no timeline on when its systems would be functioning again, stating only that it was working with pokies giant Konami for a fix.
The shutdown affects machines at three of its casinos, in Sydney, Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
Shares in the company have been in a steady decline since 2021, losing more than 85 per cent of their value by early 2024.
The firm has been battling falling revenues from its casino operations alongside regulatory challenges for its Sydney operation.
A second probe into The Star was wrapped up by the NSW Independent Casino Commission in May with a final report due on July 31.
The Star chair Anne Ward conceded in April the company was not fit to hold onto its licence, but she added the management team could be transformed in months.
The company has since appointed the former boss of rival Crown, Steve McCann, as its chief executive.
The Star has already been trialling cashless gaming at its Sydney casino, but only on 51 poker machines and eight table games.
