SGR ASX: Star Entertainments mystery Macau backer hikes stake for seco…

Exchange operator ASX automatically suspended shares in Star on Monday morning after the Richard Casino user experience operator missed Friday's deadline for issuing its earnings update for the first half of the financial year. There remains a large amount of uncertainty surrounding the future of Star’s earnings recovery. The pending AUSTRAC fine, eventual outcome of its NZ casino comparison license and a probable capital raise in the coming months all weigh heavy on its future performance. The collapse in earnings since fiscal 2024 has indicated Star might not have sufficient liquidity to stay afloat amidst near-term earnings headwinds, the AUSTRAC fine and equity contributions to redevelopment. With a $200 million emergency debt facility at a rate of 13.5%, it appears Star may be buying time ahead of a potentially value-dilutive equity raise in fiscal 2025. Queensland is currently the only state where Star holds an exclusive position and consequently the company is throwing substantial amounts of capital (~$3 billion) in ensuring it stays that way.
"It's going to be important for both government and the Star secure Aussie crypto casino withdrawals, or whoever ends up taking that over, for it to be an ongoing viable solution." From now on, he says, the business will be about accommodation, retail and restaurants with gambling as a sideline. No longer listed on the ASX, its financial performance is difficult to gauge but if it had hopes of a quick turnaround and easy profit, they may have been dashed.
Remember that individual shares or investments should only be considered as part of a broader investing strategy. So first is the cyclical downturn in discretionary spending that's weighing on main floor gaming. We do expect VIP high‑stakes gaming bonus codes to come back to levels much, much lower than it was pre-COVID. This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced. The potential collapse of the company puts the jobs of about 9,000 workers across its three casinos on the line. The casino group could be broken up in the process, as administrators would search for buyers for individual assets, if the company can't be rescued as a whole.
Apart from the higher regulatory costs following a run of scandals, Star’s fortunes have also been hurt by poor gaming turnover at its casinos and the move to cashless gaming in NSW, with Queensland to follow. Star also told investors it had received overtures from its Chinese partners – Chow Tai Fook Enterprises Limited and Far East Consortium International Limited – to pick up a 50 per cent stake in the company’s Queen’s Wharf best Aussie casino customer reviews in Brisbane. A $2.2bn non-cash impairment was reported for Sydney, Gold Coast and Treasury Brisbane goodwill and property assets. There were also regulatory and legal costs of $595m, debt restructuring costs of $54m and redundancy costs of $16m.
Peter Gartlan, co-CEO of Financial Counselling Australia, added that everyone needs access to telecommunications services and said consumers aren't getting adequate protection. "We continue to hear from callers to our frontlines of egregious examples of telco mis-selling and harm due to poor sales practices and credit assessment requirements," she said. Overall goods spending fell 0.6 per cent in January, after rising for BlackCoin withdrawal options three months in a row. The government will not acquire additional assets for the stockpile beyond those obtained through forfeiture proceedings. "Any global forecasts need to consider upside and downside scenarios, including the indirect impact of trade tensions on our largest trade partner China. The total value of credit card transactions rose by $21 million in January compared to the previous month.
Earlier this month Star confirmed its partners in the Queen's Wharf facility — Chow Tai Fook Enterprises (CTF) and Far East Consortium (FEC) — have offered to buy out its share. United Workers Union casinos director Andrew Jones said there was growing frustration amongst staff towards Star's "business as usual" approach. The company employs 9,000 people across Queensland and New South Wales, with 3,000 in Brisbane, about 2,000 on the Gold Coast and 3,500 in Sydney, as well as about 400 corporate staff. Star was reported to be considering a $650 million debt refinancing offer from Oaktree Capital Management last week.