Stellar Entertainment has requested a pause in trading on the Australian Stock Exchange.
The New South Wales Independent Casino Commission (NICC) has confirmed a second examination into Stellar Entertainment Group, following the casino operator’s request for a trading halt on its ordinary shares on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX).
Stellar Entertainment is once again facing scrutiny with a second Bell inquiry.
Adam Bell SC – recognized for conducting the initial Bell report – has been assigned to conduct a second inquiry, named Bell Two. It commences today (February 19) and will continue for 15 weeks. The final report is scheduled for May 31, 2024.
NICC Chief Commissioner Philip Crawford stated that the second Bell report will investigate how Stellar Entertainment has endeavored to implement the recommendations of the first Bell report.
“Bell Two will see us revisit the Bell Report and Stellar Entertainment’s efforts to regain its casino license in the shadow of that report,” he stated. “Stellar Entertainment faces substantial risk, so the NICC is providing the casino every opportunity to demonstrate its capacity and capability to achieve suitability.
“The inquiry will furnish the NICC with the necessary information to make significant decisions regarding Stellar Entertainment, its employees, its stakeholders, and the broader community.”
What will Bell Two encompass?
Stellar Entertainment confirmed in a statement issued today that it had received notification of the second Bell report.
Moving beyond the analysis of Bell’s initial report, the second inquiry will concentrate on the work environment of the Star Group. This includes its risk management practices and the group’s administrative and reporting methods. The investigation will also assess if the Star Group can obtain the necessary financial resources to support Star Casino.
Bell’s initial report highlighted years of shortcomings in anti-money laundering and social responsibility at Star Sydney Casino. A year later, a review of the progress of Star Sydney Casino indicated that the casino had implemented 22 of the 30 recommendations outlined in Bell’s report.
This setback arrives as the Star Group endeavors to repair its reputation in New South Wales. In September 2022, the group was deemed ineligible to hold a casino license in the state.
The Star Group also faces a similar suspension of operations in Queensland, along with four class action lawsuits and potential penalties from the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre. Most of these issues stem from its connections with Chinese intermediary operators.
Trading Suspension
The Star Group stated that the request to immediately suspend trading is linked to contact from the National Casino Regulator today. As of this statement, the operator has not publicly disclosed any further information regarding this investigation.
However, it did request that the trading suspension remain in place until it releases more details about the investigation, or February 21st, whichever occurs first.
The Star Group added that it anticipates the Australian Securities Exchange to approve the request to halt trading.
The Star Group has agreed to provide an employment security arrangement in New South Wales.
The arrival of the NICCs representative came just a few days after Star secured an employment security deal in the state. The legally binding agreement, reached last week, mandates that Star maintain a minimum workforce at its Sydney operations.
Under the same arrangement with New South Wales Treasurer Daniel Mookhey, Star will also commence a trial of cashless and card-only gaming at its Sydney casino. This will serve as a prelude to reforms being implemented across New South Wales later this year.
Last August, Star also finalized an agreement with the New South Wales government regarding casino tax rates. Since then, they have been developing a transition strategy to stabilize their Sydney casino operations and mitigate further reductions.
**Influence on Financial Performance**
Regulatory actions have had a predictable effect on Star’s financial performance. Last August, Star declared a full-year loss of A$2.4 billion (£1.24 billion/€1.46 billion/$1.57 billion).
Star highlighted that A$2.8 billion in expenses during the year were classified as “significant items.” These were associated with a range of penalties faced by the operator.
Goodwill and property assets at its Sydney, Gold Coast and Brisbane Treasury properties reported A$2.2 billion in non-cash write-downs. Additionally, there were A$595 million in regulatory and legal expenses, A$54 million in debt restructuring costs and A$16 million in redundancy costs.
These costs, offset by an increasing A$317 million in EBITDA, resulted in a A$2.4 billion after-tax loss.
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