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Star Entertainment is facing fresh scrutiny after leaked internal records and a published report alleged major gaps in responsible gambling and compliance controls, including shrinking oversight teams, overdue customer checks, and delays tied to potentially harmful play.
The reporting, cited by the _Sydney Morning Herald_ and detailed by NEXT.io, adds to a long-running regulatory crisis for Star in New South Wales and Queensland, where the operator has already faced inquiries, fines, licence action, and ongoing remediation demands.
Leaked records point to reduced oversight and growing backlogs
According to the report, Star’s group compliance headcount fell from 17 to four in 2026, while group risk dropped from five to two. Star’s investigations team also nearly halved in the first six months of the year.
Internal memos reportedly warned that the staffing shortfall created a “significant and escalating” regulatory risk and that Star could no longer sustain commitments previously made to regulators in New South Wales and Queensland.
The backlog figures were also substantial. As of 31 December, Star reportedly had 1,456 enhanced customer due diligence checks outstanding and 1,057 delayed licence withdrawals involving problematic patrons. A separate file said roughly 270,000 Factiva reports had gone unactioned, with the backlog reaching 699 days.
The source report also described weak transaction-monitoring guidance for telegraphic transfers of A$25,000 or more, along with a system gap that made it harder to identify multiple accounts linked to the same customer.
Cases cited in the report raised gambling-harm concerns
The published allegations included examples of customers whose gambling behavior should have triggered concern. One Brisbane pensioner receiving A$550 a week in welfare benefits reportedly gambled for almost 400 hours over 14 months and lost more than A$65,000. Another customer with estimated annual income of A$55,000 allegedly lost A$110,000 over 210 hours between March 2023 and February 2025, then lost another A$100,000 through June 2026.
Guest support officers, according to the report, said they did not have enough staff to identify customers showing signs of gambling harm.
A separate internal email from May said new CEO Bruce Mathieson Jnr urged staff to work on “saving each and every customer,” a message the report said raised further questions around exclusions, time-play controls, security withdrawals, and financial-crime management.
Why the story matters
For players, the core issue is whether an operator has enough staff and systems in place to detect harmful gambling behavior and complete required checks on time. Regulators in both New South Wales and Queensland have already found Star unsuitable to hold casino licences, and each state imposed A$100 million fines. Star Sydney’s licence remains suspended under special management.
What happens next will likely depend on whether regulators pursue further action and whether Star can complete the remediation work needed to regain regulatory trust.
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Source: As reported by Erik Gibbs.
