Venue Profile · Sydney, Australia
The Star Sydney
The Star Sydney's Sovereign Room was built to keep serious players from flying to Macau; the NSW Casino Commission's licence conditions that followed 2022 are the reason it's been running under closer scrutiny ever since.
TL;DR
- Opened 1997 as Star City; renamed The Star Sydney; operated by The Star Entertainment Group at 80 Pyrmont Street
- Sovereign Room VIP baccarat with table bet ranges $25 to $75,000; Inner Sanctum within Sovereign from $100 to $500,000
- NSW casino licence suspended October 2022 then conditionally restored; the casino continues to operate under enhanced regulatory oversight
Annabel's take
The Star Sydney opened in 1997 as Star City on the Pyrmont peninsula, a short walk from the CBD across Darling Harbour. I walked the Sovereign Room on a visit several years before the licence trouble began, and what I remember is the view from the harbour-side windows: the kind of harbour view that Sydney exists to produce, which in a casino context is a genuine differentiator. Most casino rooms are deliberately windowless. The Sovereign Room at The Star has floor-to-ceiling glass looking out across Darling Harbour, and on a clear Sydney evening that's worth noting.
The Sovereign Room delivers dedicated baccarat, blackjack, roulette, and craps areas within an access-controlled environment. The Inner Sanctum, the highest-limit section within Sovereign, runs table bet ranges from $100 to $500,000 per hand at the highest end. The outer Sovereign floor runs baccarat from $25 to $75,000 per hand. Confirm current limits with The Star directly before your visit.
The casino's regulatory history since 2022 requires a note. The NSW Independent Casino Commission (NICC) suspended The Star Sydney's casino licence in October 2022 following a finding that The Star was not suitable to hold the licence, citing failures in money-laundering controls, junket operator due diligence, and governance. The licence was subsequently restored on conditions, including the appointment of a manager with oversight powers. As of 2025, the licence remains conditionally active; the NICC continues enhanced oversight. The Star Entertainment Group is subject to ongoing regulatory requirements that are materially different from its pre-2022 operating environment.
The casino continues to operate 24 hours. The Sovereign Room continues to function as a high-limit space, subject to the regulatory conditions in force at any given time.
What you'll find at the baccarat tables
The Star Sydney runs Punto Banco on both the main floor and within the Sovereign Room. Standard rules apply: 5% commission on Banker wins, 1.06% edge on Banker, 1.24% on Player, 14.36% on Tie.
The Sovereign Room's baccarat bet range is documented at $25 to $75,000 on the outer floor and $100 to $500,000 in the Inner Sanctum. These parameters are those available in public records; confirm current limits and access terms with the casino host team before playing.
The main casino floor runs standard minimum tables accessible to any visitor who meets the age and ID requirements.
Getting in
The Star Sydney is open 24 hours every day. No membership required for the main floor. Valid photo ID required. Smart casual dress. The address is 80 Pyrmont Street, Pyrmont NSW 2009. Light Rail (L1 Dulwich Hill line) stops at The Star directly. Darling Harbour is a five-minute walk east. Pyrmont Bridge connects to Darling Harbour on foot. Taxi and rideshare access from the Pyrmont Street entrance.
Access to the Sovereign Room requires a higher-limit player relationship with The Star's host team. Confirm access terms with the casino before your visit.
The neighbourhood
Pyrmont sits on the peninsula between Darling Harbour and the Blackwattle Bay foreshore. The Sydney Fish Market is a ten-minute walk north; the Balmain Ferry Wharf is fifteen minutes in the other direction. The CBD is accessible across Pyrmont Bridge and through Darling Harbour's pedestrian routes.
For late-night eating, the casino's own restaurants cover the immediate need. Outside the complex, Chinatown on Dixon Street is twenty minutes by taxi or light rail and maintains kitchens beyond midnight. Surry Hills, ten minutes east by taxi, has the widest range of late-night restaurant options in Sydney outside the CBD.
Sources
Sources: The Star Sydney official site, The Star Sovereign Room page, NSW Independent Casino Commission, The Star Entertainment Group corporate page.
Where to find it
Open in OpenStreetMap → · 80 Pyrmont Street, Pyrmont, NSW 2009
