Published on: June 18, 2026, 09:43h.
Updated on: June 18, 2026, 09:43h.
- The previous CEO of Star Entertainment faces a A$700,000 penalty
- Matt Bekier has also received a six-year prohibition from corporate positions
- Australia’s Federal Court determined that the executive neglected his legal responsibilities
Matt Bekier, the former CEO and Managing Director of Star Entertainment, has been ordered to pay nearly A$500,000 and has been prohibited from holding any senior corporate role in Australia for a duration of six years.
On Wednesday, the Federal Court of Australia prohibited Bekier from corporate management in the country for six years and levied a fine of A$700,000 (approximately US$492,000). Additionally, the court imposed a A$400,000 fine on former Chief Legal & Risk Officer Paula Martin along with a seven-year leadership ban.
These penalties were imposed following the court’s determination in March that Bekier and Martin failed to protect Star casinos from the influence of illicit organizations, specifically the Macau-based junket group Suncity.
“The Liability Judgment exposed failures by senior officials of a publicly traded casino operator to respond effectively to legal, regulatory, and reputational risks tied to Star’s associations with junkets, notably its primary junket partner, Suncity,” quoted the court’s judgment.
Star Entertainment serves as Australia’s second-largest gaming entity, second only to Crown Resorts. The company, now managed by Bally’s Corporation following its rescue in 2025, operates several venues including The Star Brisbane, The Star Gold Coast, and The Star Sydney.
Star Allegedly Acted as a Money Laundering Hub
The Australian court, informed by state investigations in Queensland and New South Wales, found that the executives at Star failed to protect their casinos from money laundering activities. The court ascertained that Star facilitated relationships with known criminal elements and organizations through collaborations with Suncity, which was the largest VIP junket group in Macau.
Suncity and Star faced accusations of breaching Chinese laws by promoting gambling on the mainland. In January 2023, Suncity’s founder, Alvin Chau, was sentenced to 18 years in a Chinese prison for orchestrating an illegal gambling operation.
Justice Michael Lee of the Federal Court remarked that Bekier and Martin did not fully grasp the gravity of their violations. The court found that both executives failed to adequately investigate their partnership with Suncity, despite being questioned multiple times about it.
“It is one matter to regret the fallout from being scrutinized and litigated; it is quite another to show an understanding of why the actions judged by the court constituted significant derelictions of duty by senior casino operators,” stated Lee.
In 2022, the New South Wales and Queensland governments imposed a A$200 million fine on Star Entertainment for anti-money laundering deficiencies. Recently, New South Wales added a further A$10 million fine for four different regulatory violations, including A$5 million for “systematic failures” in Star Sydney’s financial crime prevention procedures.
Bally’s Efforts to Clean Up
Following Bally’s acquisition of a 56.7% stake in Star for A$300 million last year, Australian regulators have noted significant improvements in the casino chain’s operations.
“We have seen substantial advancements at The Star under its new management,” commented NSW Independent Casino Commission Chief Commissioner Philip Crawford recently. “The NICC is confident that the restructured remediation initiatives, combined with Bally’s expertise and technological enhancements since these infractions occurred, have resulted in significant improvements in Star’s remediation efforts.”