This Month
Star Entertainment woos potential new lender with casino tour
WhiteHawk Capital, an American private credit firm, will tour Star’s three precincts ahead of a decision on a possible loan to the troubled casino group.
Longo denies Star ruling diminishes director obligations
The ASIC chairman said, although the regulator was disappointed by parts of the ruling, it did not represent a backward step for directors’ duties.
Michael Lee’s judgment leaves legacy for Sally Pitkin and friends
The market and shareholders may expect higher standards of boards these days, but that doesn’t mean ASIC can enforce them (in this case, at least).
Star Entertainment to cut costs after $110m first-half loss
The results are the first for the embattled casino operator since Bally’s and the Mathieson family took over as majority owners.
February
Local jobs to go as Blackstone’s Crown takes IT, finance offshore
Crown says the latest reduction in jobs is designed to set the business up for the future and comes as the group faces industrial action in Victoria.
Last bank standing exits Star Entertainment’s debt stack
Macquarie’s exit comes as Star prepares to rule off yet another refinancing after the Mathieson family and Bally’s acquired a controlling stake in December.
January
Victor Churchill to open new restaurant inside Crown
Set to open in mid-2027, the restaurant will be the third to launch inside Crown Melbourne since 2024.
Star Entertainment to shut head office, sending management to casinos
The plan was outlined to staff by the gaming group’s new chief executive Bruce Mathieson jnr, and will lead to hundreds of positions being cut.
December 2025
Star’s board changes unplanned but ‘for the best’, says new chairman
It was a series of fast-falling cards at the company, with Steve McCann’s resignation resulting in two exits and a surprise chairman.
Star’s high-stakes gamble on Mr Fix-It ends as financiers take the house
The casino man for a casino crisis got exactly what he bargained for – he was cheered on the way in and cheered on the way out.
Steve McCann quits Star Entertainment, Bruce Mathieson jnr takes over
The former Lendlease and Crown Resorts chief executive is leaving after two major shareholders, including Bally’s, took control of the embattled casino group.
SkyCity shareholder action over $67m AUSTRAC fine dismissed
A SkyCity shareholder brought an application seeking to start a derivative action, where he would sue former executives and directors on behalf of the company.
Crown casino faces new year strike threat
The Melbourne venue is seeking to push through pay cuts of between 16 and 32 per cent for new hires as it fails to stop union ballots for industrial action.
November 2025
Mathieson jnr to become Star chairman as major investors take control
The billionaire Mathieson family and its business partners at American casino giant Bally’s converted loans into shares, leaving them in a dominant position.
Star searches for lenders as personal questions drive away punters
Chief executive Steve McCann said the casino was losing high-spending customers who are not criminals because of probity checks that they feel are intrusive.
James Packer has a point about government’s gambling hypocrisy
Crooks have benefited by being able to wash their ill-gotten gains in thousands of less-scrutinised venues compared with the bright lights of high-profile casinos.
‘I hope he sues’: Packer attacks ex-Victorian premier Daniel Andrews
In a wide-ranging interview, the billionaire businessman also takes aim at the NSW casino regulator, saying it is a “one of the miracles of life” he has a job.
October 2025
Blackstone’s Crown Resorts makes first profit in five years
A major cost-cutting exercise, the sale of a number of businesses and its payment of a $450 million fine have helped ease some of Crown’s financial challenges.
Star chairwoman Anne Ward announces plan to retire
Ward has run the struggling casino operator since 2024, guiding it during one of its most difficult periods.
Packer-backed property group in war for Crown’s private golf course
Billionaire James Packer sold out of Crown Resorts in 2022. Now he has emerged alongside business partner Clinton Casey in a bid for its golf course.
