The Star Brisbane, a long-anticipated new casino resort, opened its facilities on Thursday (August 29), as part of the phased opening of the AUD3.6-billion (US$2.5-billion) Queen’s Wharf Brisbane scheme (pictured) in Brisbane, in the state of Queensland in Australia.
The complex is promoted by privately-owned Destination Brisbane Consortium, a joint venture between Australian casino operator The Star Entertainment Group Ltd and two Hong Kong-based partners: Chow Tai Fook Enterprises Ltd, and Far East Consortium International Ltd.
The Star owns 50 percent of the venture, with the other half split equally between Chow Tai Fook and Far East Consortium.
The first phase of the multi-phased opening “commenced overnight,” said the complex’s promoter in a Thursday announcement.
The gaming floors, which Destination Brisbane said “comprise just 5 percent of the Queen’s Wharf Brisbane precinct”, opened at 2pm, local time. It included the property’s “main casino floor and premium gaming rooms”.
According to corporate information, the Queen’s Wharf Brisbane casino operator “will have an entitlement to 2,500 gaming machines, although not all machines may be installed at opening”.
Thursday’s event follows the closure on Sunday of the gaming venue at the Treasury Casino and Hotel Brisbane in Queensland. The Treasury Brisbane hotel remains open.
The new facility’s promoter said that the first-phase opening of Queen’s Wharf added 340 hotel rooms to Brisbane’s accommodation inventory, with the first guests checking in to The Star Grand hotel on Thursday morning.
“The hotel is fully booked for the first four days with forward holdings into September and through to December exceeding expectations,” stated the promoter.
The update quoted The Star Brisbane chief executive, Daniel Finch, as saying: “We are thrilled to officially welcome Brisbane and indeed the world to this highly anticipated and game-changing tourism and entertainment precinct.”
“We will continue to progressively roll out a steady stream of new restaurants, bars, public spaces and destinations,” he stated.
Mr Finch added: “Once fully operational, The Star Brisbane and broader Queen’s Wharf precinct are expected to attract approximately 1.4 million additional visitors to Queensland each year.”
The complex’s event centre, with a 1,440-seat ballroom, also opened on Thursday, according to the announcement.
As part of the next phase of the multi-staged opening, the Dorsett and Rosewood hotels will be launched at a later date.
