“The people who are visiting our three premises at Brisbane,Gold Coast and Sydney are spending more money,” O’Neill said.
“The average spend is up substantially. There’s maybe a gap between the haves and the have-nots,but the disposable income of those going out is substantially up.”
O’Neill was also in friendly territory. Successive governments have embraced Star as a mainstay of Queensland’s tourism sector,being a company willing to invest in much-needed luxury products.
Star also played a role,behind the scenes,in brokering a south-east Queensland bid for the 2032 Olympics. O’Neill’s high-level dinner at Star’s Gold Coast casino will easily pay off.
At the recent lunch,he said the years after the 2032 Olympics offered the most promise. He believed Star was well-positioned to capitalise.
While in Sydney the company faced development hurdles,in Queensland it was able toexpand the former Jupiters casino on the Gold Coast and forge ahead with the landmarkQueen’s Wharf development in Brisbane.