Star Entertainment Ignored Repeated Internal Warnings Before Fatal Sky Deck Incident at Brisbane Casino
TL;DR — Internal warnings about climbable barriers on The Star Brisbane Sky Deck began in May 2025 and continued through October 2025, yet no permanent fix was made before a 24-year-old employee died in June 2026. Star reported a AUD307 million loss for the year to June 30 with gaming revenue down over 5 percent. NSW and Queensland regulators have sought more details while reviewing licence suitability.
SCCG Take — The sequence shows how unresolved operational risks add to the compliance burden for an operator already under independent oversight. Regulators in both jurisdictions now weigh these safety lapses against any decision on licence reinstatement.
Star Entertainment faces fresh backlash after internal documents showed managers had raised safety concerns multiple times about a climbable section of the Sky Deck at its Brisbane casino complex. The warnings came months before the death of a 24-year-old Filipino employee who worked as a chef in the room-service operation. The high-rise ride sits on the 23rd floor of the Queen’s Wharf entertainment precinct.
Senior staff first flagged the issue in May 2025. Further warnings followed in July and September. Internal assessments identified the balustrade design, including the handrail configuration and gaps between glass safety panels, as a potential risk. A September report considered the possibility of intentional falls and recommended modifications to external barriers. In October managers approached the Destination Brisbane Consortium seeking permission and funding for changes. A separate technical review that month designated the Sky Deck barrier an issue that needed to be addressed as a priority.
Unresolved Safety Issues Preceded June 2026 Death
The problem was not solved until the employee died at the site in June 2026. Documents indicate the matter remained under discussion inside the organisation in the preceding months. No permanent structural solution had been completed by the time of the latest reports. Additional security measures and a temporary barrier were installed only after the death.
Star previously held a 50 percent stake in the Destination Brisbane Consortium alongside Far East Consortium and Chow Tai Fook Enterprises. The operator sold that stake earlier this year to strengthen its financial position but continues to operate the Brisbane casino. The internal records were first detailed by GamblingNews, citing assessments reported by The Sydney Morning Herald.
Financial Losses Compound Existing Regulatory Pressure
Star Entertainment recorded an AUD307 million ($219.4 million) loss for the financial year to June 30. Gaming revenue fell by over 5 percent to AUD756.2 million ($540.5 million). Auditors expressed concern about the company’s financial prospects.
The operator has operated under continuing regulatory pressure since compliance issues surfaced in 2022 inquiries. Its Sydney casino licence remains suspended and sits under the supervision of an independent administrator who also oversees Queensland operations. Regulators in New South Wales and Queensland have requested further information following the latest reports. Authorities are considering whether Star should regain its casino licences.
Reporting: GamblingNews
Generated by SCCG’s automated editorial system from published source reporting. SCCG Management holds editorial responsibility.
Ignored safety flags before a preventable death deepen Star's compliance crisis while regulators weigh licence reinstatement across two states.
We work with operators in seventeen regulated markets, and this is the kind of operational breakdown that ends licences—not money laundering headlines, but basic duty of care ignored under independent oversight. Star had the red flags, the time, and the authority structure. They still failed, and now two regulators are watching.
- Internal warnings flagged climbable barriers from May through October 2025; no permanent fix before June 2026 death
- AUD307M loss, gaming revenue down 5%+, auditors questioning financial viability
- NSW and Queensland regulators reviewing licence suitability amid unresolved safety lapses
SCCG angle: SCCG helps operators build compliance frameworks that connect duty-of-care protocols to regulatory reporting—the kind of integrated risk management Star clearly lacked. Our network includes the advisors who design monitoring systems that escalate operational flags before they become headline failures, exactly what regulators now demand as table stakes for licence renewal.
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