The refunding was being sought to help it trade through the next six months and retain its casino licence in Sydney. Embattled casino operator Star Entertainment says it has been unable to reach a deal with Hong Kong investors to buy its stake in Brisbane's Queen's Wharf development. Australians are paying $9.2 million in interest charges per day on a collective credit card debt of $18.02 billion, at the average interest rate of 18.71 per cent. In a quarterly update to investors on Monday, ASX-listed Star said its revenue had fallen 15 per cent in the December quarter, citing ongoing weakness in its operating performance. It pointed to a "challenging" consumer environment, the impact of carded play in NSW, and expenses caused by a series of regulatory and compliance problems. Coincidentally, another significant shareholder in E-Commerce is PAG – a major Asian investment company that is the largest shareholder in troubled Australian airline Rex.
Operating margins are forecast to recover to ~12% over the same period, however this remains below pre-covid levels considering the additional tax burden from the New South Wales government. After a delayed earnings release and a turbulent regulatory environment, this entertainment behemoth remains a controversial choice for investors. 3 of those analysts submitted the estimates of revenue or earnings used as inputs to our report. While we recognise that sales of the assets in the business could be worth significantly more, uncertainty in the near term outlook results in a change to our rating. Thanks for all your comments on superannuation today, in light of the Grattan Institute report arguing a government-backed annuity scheme would help more people draw down on their super — sharing a few more here. Here's how the day's trade unfolded, with insights from our business reporters, on the ABC News markets blog. Star is also awaiting the outcome of a court decision on fines for breaches of anti-money-laundering regulations that are expected to reach to hundreds of millions of dollars.
The data used in our company analysis is from S&P Global Market Intelligence LLC. Motley Fool contributor Zach Bristow has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia's parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Macquarie Group. The stock is down more than 58% in the past 12 months, and there's no saying when the sell-off might end – or if it will. There are many moving parts/challenges when considering Star Entertainment's earnings outlook with management's ability to execute the largest risk, particularly relating to cost-out and asset sales – likely beyond non-core. It cited a "degradation" in earnings expectations for FY25 due to Star's current set of challenges. Rather than seeing a potential bargin at these current levels, brokers are recommending investors steer clear of the company for now.
The operator had planned to sell its 50 per cent stake in the Brisbane complex to its business partners, but the talks have broken down. The casino giant has received the last tranche of a $300 million investment from American Wild Casino loyalty program giant Bally’s Corporation and the billionaire Mathieson family. Ward has run the struggling online casino privacy policy 2026 operator since 2024, guiding it during one of its most difficult periods. The Gaming Hardware Casino sector carries a set of constant risks including tax increases, ESG risks, and heightened regulatory scrutiny.
Both groups used a model banned by almost every jurisdiction in the world, apart from Macau. They allowed outsiders to run private gambling operations within the confines of their casinos. That paved the way for organised Chinese crime syndicates to launder money in Australia. On Friday, the shares briefly dropped below 20c, valuing the group at just $1.2 billion. Strip away the huge money-laundering operation from mainland Chinese-based criminal gangs, and the business model upon which Australia's two big casino groups has been built suddenly is under threat. That annoying little slogan tacked on to the end of every broadcast gambling advertisement, as a warning to those with an addiction, has come back to bite casino owners and investors.
Star Entertainment is negotiating with a property funds management giant that owns a string of major hotels for a $750 million refinancing package that would secure the ailing Lucky Elf casino support resources group’s long-term financial future. Chow Tai Fook and Imperial Poker promo code Far East, co-investors in Star’s Queen’s Wharf casino in Brisbane, attempted to buy Star’s share of the asset, and shareholder billionaire Bruce Mathieson has made an offer for Star’s Gold Coast casino. The majority of Star’s employees are based in Sydney, and despite recent troubles, its Pyrmont site remains a major tourism destination, with 650 hotel rooms and 36 food and beverage venues.
Exchange operator ASX automatically suspended shares in Star on Monday morning after the casino operator missed Friday's deadline for issuing its earnings update for the first half of the financial year. There remains a large amount of uncertainty surrounding the future of Star’s earnings recovery. The pending AUSTRAC fine, eventual outcome of its crypto casino withdrawal fees license and a probable capital raise in the coming months all weigh heavy on its future performance. The collapse in earnings since fiscal 2024 has indicated Star might not have sufficient liquidity to stay afloat amidst near-term earnings headwinds, the AUSTRAC fine and equity contributions to redevelopment. With a $200 million emergency debt facility at a rate of 13.5%, it appears Star may be buying time ahead of a potentially value-dilutive equity raise in fiscal 2025. Queensland is currently the only state where Star holds an exclusive position and consequently the company is throwing substantial amounts of capital (~$3 billion) in ensuring it stays that way.
