SGR ASX: Star Entertainments mystery Macau backer hikes stake for second time in a week

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. The trading halt is expected to continue until Star makes an announcement relating to the above-mentioned issues or until trading starts on 2 September 2024. Star requested the freeze upon receiving the final report undertaken by Adam Bell SC after the 2024 independent inquiry into the casino’s operations.
Blackjack cards are not touched by players and poker cards are changed every hour, try one of our Poker-based games. Casino game dice this enables customers to use online gambling platforms more securely and responsibly, you will be given a unique link that you will use every time you reference the company. Star Entertainment’s major macau casino player acquisition-based investor has increased his stake in the company loyalty program for elite players a second time in a week, with the mystery businessman now owning almost 7 per cent of the struggling top casino strategies operator. Shares in The Star Entertainment Group Limited (“Star”) tanked Funeral home last rites services week after their first day back on the ASX in almost a month. This ended a prolonged trading halt further aggravated by a slap-on-the-wrist ASX suspension for failure to provide timely financial accounts. The longer-term investment case is clouded by the threat of Crown Sydney, liquidity risk and tightening regulatory measures. This article explores the once monopolistic establishment and why we believe its trading over 50% below its fair value.
United Workers Union casinos director Andrew Jones said the union had been supportive of the Star Brisbane through many of its hurdles. The deal has left employees with questions about the future of their jobs in the precinct. “At the core of the issue is the transfer of a major casino licence to a new ownership structure,” he said. In exchange, Star would receive a $53 million cash injection and stakes in Gold Coast hotels near its winspirit casino fast cashout there. A Queensland government spokesperson says the deal is subject to government approval.
This includes a $100 million lifeline from its bank, and another $150 million debt facility through broker UBS. Both the New South Wales and Queensland Governments have ruled out direct financial support. As part of the review, Star’s license to operate The Star Gold Coast was called into question.
Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500, Nasdaq, and Morningstar Index (Market Barometer) quotes are real-time. To further protect the integrity of our editorial content, we keep a strict separation between our sales teams and authors to remove any pressure or influence on our analyses and research. Market data is provided and copyrighted by Thomson Reuters and Morningstar. Star Entertainment needs to lock in a multimillion-dollar funding package before the start of April or faces the prospect of voluntary administration. The gaming giant had called off negotiations on an early proposal after finding itself unable to agree on key details of a plan to sell its Brisbane precinct. Star is not expected to file audited accounts before the ASX’s deadline.
Discussions between Star and the State continue to develop, with the hope that tax increases will not be as damaging as projected by investment analysts. Star’s recent financial results were delayed by liquidity concerns and the company’s shares were suspended from the ASX. The company subsequently secured fresh funding, published its numbers and returned to trading in volatile style. Last Monday, 20 January, the Star Casino share price crashed 17.9% on the heels of the company’s second-quarter update. The price tag for the assets is around $60 million, money sorely needed to keep the cash-strapped company afloat. Management noted that the transaction remains subject to a number of customary conditions, including relevant government and regulatory consent, as well as the finalisation of long-form transaction documents.
Yes, The Star Entertainment Group had historically paid two fully franked dividends a year. The last dividend was paid in July 2020 amid COVID-19 affecting the company’s normal operations. More recently, fines for regulatory breaches have affected the company’s bottom line. The Star Entertainment share price is down 67% compared to a year ago. Yesterday, Nick Weeks, acting as a stand-in manager of Star Sydney, delivered his view on recent activities within the company. Weeks accused the Casino instant withdrawal comparison of ‘bulk approving’ high-risk customers and going as far as to falsify documentation. Xingchun Wang has spent more than $38 million buying shares in Star, which last week warned it was running out of money and could be weeks away from collapse if it did not secure additional financing.