The future of James Packer’s casino empire is looking bleaker by the minute, with The Star no longer interested in teaming up.

The scrutiny could not have come at a worse time for Crown and The Star, given the two are currently exploring the possibility of a merger.

The bosses at Crown have given the private equity firm a big thumbs down for its acquisition proposal.

The Star faces some competition, however, from a private equity firm that wants to take over Crown (which, FYI, has also just hired a new CEO).

To make matters worse for Crown, the company suffered a $120.9 million loss in the first half of FY21.

James Packer’s EA has been forced to go out and buy a bigger stress ball for the casino mogul, after NSW’s gaming regulator confirmed the inevitable for his Barangaroo property.

After much speculation about his future at Crown, Ken Barton has finally bowed to pressure.

James Packer’s hopes of operating his prized $2.4 billion Barangaroo property as planned have seemingly been dashed.

The company’s money laundering bombshell has thrown its Crown Sydney opening plans into absolute disarray. Wade through the mess right here.

Get informed on all the latest hospo news with this week’s Hotel Wrap, which comes with a sprinkling of delightful property developments.

We’re certain you’ll want to read this week’s Hotel Wrap from start to finish, not just because it’s slightly shorter, but because the news is absolutely poppin’.

Scores of listed travel companies have been updating the market on their respective responses to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in recent days. Here’s a recap.