On December 29, 2025, Star Entertainment Group announced leadership changes, with CFO Frank Krile and COO Jeannie Mok stepping down from their positions in January 2026.
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Crown Resorts may replace Star in Queen’s Wharf precinct
Owners of the Queen’s Wharf precinct in Brisbane, Chow Tai Fook Enterprises and Far East Consortium, negotiate to replace the current operator, Star Entertainment.
Star’s two partners in the Queen’s Wharf project (each holding a 25% stake) are still negotiating a potential deal to acquire Star’s remaining 50% interest, intending to transfer operational control by early 2026.
According to the Australian Financial Review (AFR), the plan involves discussions with Crown Resorts, the Blackstone-owned gaming and hospitality firm that operates casinos in Melbourne, Sydney, and Perth.
Industry insiders suggest Crown Resorts as a preferred candidate due to its recent success in meeting stringent probity and compliance standards required by regulators in other Australian states. If successful, this would mark Crown’s first expansion into Queensland.
The two owners have also started discussions with other potential operators, including SkyCity Entertainment and Delaware North.
In March, Star Entertainment announced plans to sell its 50% stake in the Brisbane precinct to Chow Tai Fook and Far East Consortium. A short-form sales agreement included conditions allowing Star to temporarily manage the Queen’s Wharf casino, with a fixed monthly management fee of $5 million through at least March 31.
However, negotiations among the partners have reportedly become strained over the specific terms related to Star’s continued role as operator. The inability to agree on operational control has delayed finalisation of the long-form agreement, which was initially expected in April.
If a full agreement is not reached by July 31, Star may be required to pay a penalty of $36.5 million to the partners.
Just 24 hours after Steve McCann left the CEO position, the Star Entertainment Group appointed Bruce Mathieson Jr. as the new CEO.Additionally, Soo Kim, a Bally’s...
