Star Entertainment CEO Resigns, More Senior Execs To Be Sacked?

Updated On Mar 29, 2022 by Ella McDonald

Matt BekierSummary

  • Matt Bekier was forced to resign as CEO amid an ongoing investigation into Star Entertainment
  • Pressure now grows for other senior executives to also resign
  • Bekier and other senior execs’ involvement in money laundering was exposed in recent public hearings

Matt Bekier has officially stepped down as CEO of The Star in light of the ongoing royal commission-style investigation into the casino’s alleged links to money laundering and organized crime.

The same controversies had resulted in the demise of its rival Crown Resorts which lost some of its senior managers and board of directors after it was found not fit to hold a casino license in 2021.

After Bekier’s resignation, there has been a call for more senior executives at The Star to follow in his footsteps as pressure mounts on them to abandon their posts following damning evidence that showed senior executives at the company circumvented the law and allowed money laundering to take place.

 

Bekier Rejected KPMG Report in 2018

The probe recently heard that Bekier, in particular, strongly dismissed the findings of a report conducted by KPMG in 2018, warning the gambling giant that it may be in breach of the anti-money laundering laws. The inquiry was told that Bekier angrily rejected the report, saying it was wrong.

The Star is currently being investigated by the NSW gaming regulator for allegedly helping high-rollers smuggle massive sums of money from a Chinese bank into Australia for gambling purposes. In a previous public hearing, a senior employee already admitted to misleading the National Australia Bank over the suspicious transactions by disguising the funds as hotel expenses.

Star Chairman John O’Neill Expected to Resign Too

Bekier handed in his resignation on March 28, though his departure date remains unknown. The Star’s chairman John O’Neill could be next in line to resign from his role, as the board now comes under scrutiny for their potential involvement in the company’s money-laundering practices.

Furthermore, those who were part of the board when KPMG’s damning report was released four years ago would now be grilled by investors and regulators for their failure to take steps to prevent money laundering. This will inevitably lead to more directors stepping down, according to experts.

Bekier has served The Star since 2011 when it demerged from Tabcorp. He assumed the position of CEO in 2014, while O’Neill was appointed chairman two years earlier in 2012. The pair have been instrumental in establishing Star as one of Australia’s top gambling operators.

Ella McDonald Author

Worldwide gambling related news stories are what you will find being written by Ella, she has a keen interest however in UK and European based new stories relating to all gaming environments, and she is always prepared to ask the difficult questions many other journalists avoiding asking those in power.

Comments are closed.