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NICC considers next steps after Bell Report released

 

The NSW Independent Casino Commission (NICC) has released the second Bell Report into The Star and is considering next steps for the future of the suspended casino operator.

Two volumes of the three-volume report will be made public as the NICC works through Mr Adam Bell SC’s findings and any implications that will flow from the second Bell Inquiry.

The first Bell Report from 2022 deemed The Star to be unsuitable to hold a casino licence because of serious regulatory failures.

NICC Chief Commissioner, Philip Crawford, said the latest Bell Report has validated the concerns that prompted the second Inquiry.

“The Bell Report reveals a company that had not moved quickly enough to address the governance and cultural concerns raised in the first Bell Report. It has only very recently turned its attention to dealing with challenges that should have been prioritised earlier,” Mr Crawford said. 

“The Bell Report notes that Mr Steve McCann Group CEO, Ms Janelle Campbell Sydney CEO and Ms Jeannie Mok Group Chief Operating Officer, bring important experience and expertise to the process of engagement with regulators, remediation and cultural transformation which will be vital if the NICC decides that The Star should remain as the operator of The Star Casino. 

“The level of transparency and cooperation has certainly improved since their appointments.  

"However, the Bell Report underscores the NICC’s concerns that it was not receiving all of the facts from The Star at a time when we needed certainty the company could fund and prioritise an urgent business turnaround.

“The NICC is responsible for regulating an industry that is highly vulnerable to criminal infiltration and we are tasked with setting regulatory standards that meet the community’s expectations.

“It was unclear whether The Star could feasibly operate under less supervision, when it was exhibiting past behaviours with its licence still suspended. 

The NICC is contemplating Mr Bell’s findings, including four compliance breaches, and will respond in due course.

The NICC’s costs are funded through the casino supervisory levy, paid for by the casinos – not taxpayers.

In this instance, the board of The Star has agreed to reimburse the full cost of the Bell Inquiry totalling approximately $3.2m. 

Read volumes one and two of the Bell Report:

Visit the Bell Inquiry webpage.