Two Integrated Resorts. One CEO. The Star Appoints Ameet Patel to Lead Brisbane and Gold Coast
The Star Entertainment Group has named Ameet Patel as Dual Chief Executive Officer of The Star Brisbane and The Star Gold Coast, subject to regulatory approval. One leader, two of the group’s most important Queensland assets, and a clear signal about who is now steering the business.
Who Ameet Patel Is and What the Appointment Covers
Patel arrives with a heavy gaming résumé. He has held senior roles at Bally’s Corporation, Penn Entertainment and Sun International, including a stint as President of Bally’s Chicago and Senior Vice President of Regional Operations at Penn. He has been responsible for all aspects of group gaming operations across multiple US markets, overseeing strategic initiatives and operational standards. The company points to his work in strategic planning, process redesign, financial analysis, talent development and operational efficiency.
In taking the dual role, Patel replaced Daniel Finch at The Star Brisbane and Jennifer Cronin, who had been serving as interim CEO at The Star Gold Coast. Group CEO and Managing Director Bruce Mathieson Jr kept his comment brief: the group looks forward to working with Patel as it continues to strengthen leadership capability across The Star.
The Bally’s Connection Driving the Leadership Strategy
This is not an isolated hire. It is part of a pattern. Patel’s appointment follows the recent naming of another former Bally’s executive, John Koster, as CEO of The Star Sydney in March 2026. The thread running through both is ownership. Bally’s Corp, alongside the Mathieson family’s Investment Holdings, took a controlling 61% stake in Star late last year, with Bally’s chair Soo Kim now also serving as Star’s chairman. When you control the board, you fill the corner offices with people you trust. That is exactly what is happening here.
Why Queensland Leadership Stability Matters Right Now
The Gold Coast property tells you why this appointment carries weight. It has been a revolving door. Previous permanent CEO Mark Mackay quit after 95 days, and his predecessor Jessica Mellor resigned after six months. A casino cannot run regulatory remediation, manage thousands of staff and rebuild trust while the top job keeps emptying. Consolidating Brisbane and Gold Coast under one executive is a bet that fewer hands on the wheel means a steadier course.
What This Means for Operators and the Wider Market
For anyone watching Star as a competitor, supplier or investor, the read is straightforward. Bally’s is installing operators it already knows rather than searching the Australian market for fresh faces. This is Bally’s leaning on tried and trusted hands to steady the ship. That favours operational discipline over reinvention. Suppliers and partners negotiating with the Queensland resorts should expect decisions to flow through a more centralised, US-influenced command structure than before.
Future Outlook for The Star and Its Queensland Resorts
The honest caveat sits in the fine print. The appointment is still subject to regulatory approval, and regulators remain the real gatekeepers given Star’s recent history. The next six to twelve months will test whether single-executive oversight delivers the consistency the Gold Coast has lacked. So far, the changes made have not been sufficient to steer Star to safe harbour. Patel inherits that unfinished task. Whether one CEO across two resorts proves to be focus or overload is the question Queensland will be answering well into 2027.
Source: The Star Entertainment Group
