Star Entertainment will be grilled in a series of public hearings into its suitability to hold casino licences in Queensland amid a series of damaging reports.
The hearings start on Tuesday and run through to next Monday. Here are some key things to know about the inquiry.
What will the inquiry examine?
The review is led by the former court of appeal judge Robert Gotterson and will examine Star’s suitability to keep its casino licences in Brisbane and the Gold Coast. Gotterson is due to deliver his findings by 30 September.
On Monday Queensland’s attorney general, Shannon Fentiman, said “any allegations involving the gambling giant or its associates should be examined by the inquiry”.
“We are absolutely committed to ensuring Queensland casinos operate lawfully and in a way that maintains high standards of integrity and public confidence,” Fentiman told AAP.
Why did the Queensland government order a review?
An inquiry was ordered in June by Fentiman.
This came after allegations that Star had potentially acted criminally were aired at a New South Wales gaming regulator’s inquiry.
That inquiry, which is due to deliver findings by 31 August, has been examining claims the ASX-listed company enabled suspected money laundering, organised crime, fraud and foreign interference at Sydney’s The Star casino.
Star Entertainment is the ultimate holding company for two existing casinos in Queensland – Treasury Brisbane and The Star Gold Coast – and, when the project is complete, it will operate the Queen’s Wharf Brisbane casino.
Aren’t all the relevant issues already being canvassed by the NSW inquiry?
The NSW inquiry has been examining the operations and management at the Sydney casino.
In July, counsel assisting the Queensland inquiry, Jonathan Horton QC, said some evidence from the NSW “may inform” this review.
“One key question we want to ask is this: to what extent were any problems in NSW ones which came over the border either because of common governance and practices, or by gamblers excluded there being allowed entry to casinos here, or even being encouraged or incentivised to do so?” Horton said during an initial hearing of the inquiry.
What impact will the inquiry have on casinos in Queensland?
Even if the review finds Star unsuitable to operate casinos in Brisbane and the Gold Coast, Star may not be stripped of its licences.
Instead it could be given a conditional licence or have its senior management turned over, as was the case with Crown casinos in Perth, Sydney and Melbourne.
What about the awarding of the Queen’s Wharf development contract?
A series of articles by the Australian and the ABC have focused on how Star won its $3.6bn Queen’s Wharf contract from the Queensland government.
The partially built Queen’s Wharf development began in 2015 and sits on prime real estate on the north bank of the Brisbane River, covering nearly 10% of the city’s CBD.
One article reported that “red flags were raised” with the government during its probity process for that contract and Star’s Hong Kong-based partner in the project, Chow Tai Fook.
On Monday Fentiman said: “If anyone has any ongoing concerns about the Star or their associates such as Chow Tai Fook, I would encourage them to refer them to the independent review for consideration.”
Star Entertainment has refused to comment on the allegations.
“In the context of the public hearings commencing this week in connection with the review of The Star’s casino operations in Queensland … The Star does not consider it appropriate to comment at this time,” the company said in a statement to the ASX.
