Inside Asian Gaming

INSIDE ASIAN GAMING DECEMBER 2018 76 FEATURE IN FOCUS Week”, an annual pilgrimage of recent high school graduates letting their hair down. But Bekier has long seen more to it than that. In an exclusive interview with IAG in mid-2017, he stated, “We think there is a lot more potential on the Gold Coast. With Queen’s Wharf we’ll have a precinct with five hotels that will bring four million incremental visitors to Brisbane. What we’re doing with the Gold Coast is providing a companion piece to that. We see it as an opportunity to extend the trip – enjoy an urban experience in Brisbane and then the quintessential Australian beaches experience on the Gold Coast. “That’s why we’re so excited about the Gold Coast and it’s why we bought the Sheraton when it became available because it is another great when it comes to visitors extending their trip (Star purchased the Sheraton Mirage Resort located alongside the Gold Coast’s Main Beach in October 2016 for AU$140 million).” More than simply taking an opportunity however, the mega masterplan promises to be transformational in the same way that Queen’s Wharf is changing the very face of Brisbane. An artist’s impression of Star ’s under-construction Queen’s Wharf Development in Brisbane It also sends a clear message to Crown, which is in the process of moving into Star’s traditional home territory with Crown Sydney – the AU$2.2 billion VIP casino due to open just a stone’s throw from The Star Sydney in 2021. Making it all possible is Star’s partnership with Hong Kong’s The Gold Coast hasn’t traditionally been viewed as a particularly high-end tourist destination – aside from its sandy white beaches, it is perhaps best known for its Cavill Avenue bar and nightclub strip and as the home of “Schoolies Week”.