“The Gotterson Review highlighted major failings in The Star’s operations at The Star Gold Coast and Treasury Brisbane casinos,” Fentiman said in a statement on Friday morning.
She said while it was important to not pre-empt the outcome of the process,after which the government would decide if and what penalties to impose,new laws allowed for fines of up to $100 million.
The laws werepushed through parliament last month and also allowed for the appointment of a regulator-appointed manager to oversee the casinos’ operations,rather thanstripping them of licences.
Such a measure was taken in NSW for Star’s Sydney casino last month.Robert Gotterson AO KC’s review suggested this could even be the same person across all three of the company’s Australian sites.
Fentiman had previously said there wasstill a path for the company to shift its Treasury licence to anchor the nearby $3.6 billion Queen’s Wharf development next year if the company was found unsuitable.
Despite facing the $100 million fine also levelled against the company in NSW,and the show cause process under way in Queensland,its casinos remained open and it was expected to be able to weather a similar fine in the northern state.