Greg Hawkins, the former chief casino officer of Star Entertainment, has agreed to settle with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) over misconduct related to his dealings with a large Macau junket operator with suspected criminal ties.
Under the proposed settlement, Hawkins will pay AU$180,000 (US$114,680) and face an 18-month disqualification from managing ASX-listed companies. This comes after he was found to have breached his directors’ duties in two instances.
The Federal Court heard last week that Hawkins signed a significant contract with a prominent Macau junket operator, despite receiving warnings about suspicious activity at Star Sydney’s private gambling rooms. The court also revealed that former Star chairman John O’Neill received a document detailing the alleged criminal links of Alvin Chau, the Suncity junket’s founder, a year before the board approved a AU$30m (US$19.1m) credit facility increase for Suncity. O’Neill forwarded this information to Star’s then-CEO Matt Bekier and its chief legal officer, Paula Martin.
In December 2022, ASIC initiated proceedings against Star’s former directors, including O’Neill and Bekier. The concerns about the company’s handling of money laundering risks prompted a government inquiry, which ultimately determined that Star was unfit to operate its Sydney casino.
Source: Asia Gaming Brief
