The Star Entertainment faces blackmail, leadership shake-up and gaming shutdowns

A rejected job applicant's extortion plot adds to The Star's woes. Can new executives steady the ship as gaming systems go dark?

, and Administrator

2026 May 2 . 5:02 PM

1 min read

The image shows the entrance to a casino with a large screen on the wall, a banner with pictures... — The image shows the entrance to a casino with a large screen on the wall, a banner with pictures and text, a group of people standing on the floor, sign boards with text on them, a roof with ceiling lights, and a watermark at the bottom.

The Star Entertainment faces blackmail, leadership shake-up and gaming shutdowns

The Star Entertainment Group has announced major leadership changes while dealing with a blackmail attempt and technical issues. The company revealed new appointments to its C-suite, including a CEO for The Star Sydney. Meanwhile, a rejected job applicant threatened to leak customer data unless his demands were met. The Star named Janelle Campbell as the new CEO of The Star Sydney. She will also join the venue’s board of directors. The company additionally appointed Neale O'Connell as interim group chief financial officer.

Separately, a man tried to extort the company after his job application was turned down. He demanded the dismissal of his former partner, threatening to release sensitive customer information if The Star refused. The HR team reported the incident to authorities and began legal action against the extortionist.

On top of these challenges, The Star will temporarily shut down all Electronic Gaming Machines and Electronic Table Games from 10 pm on July 13. The shutdown follows system performance problems linked to preparations for cashless gaming. The company is working with Konami to resolve the operational issues before services resume. The Star now faces multiple challenges at once. Leadership changes come as the company tackles both a blackmail threat and technical disruptions. The gaming machines will remain offline until the system issues are fixed.