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THE STAR SYDNEY’S LEADERSHIP TEAM ACHIEVES EQUAL GENDER REPRESENTATION

Published

5 years ago

November 15, 2021

Reading Time: 3 minutes

The Star Sydney leadership team has reached a 50/50 split of men and women following two recent appointments to
the executive group reporting to the Chief Operating Officer (COO).

The Star Entertainment Group has a target of 45% women and 45% men representation in leadership roles across its
properties in Sydney and Queensland, while the remaining 10% reflects scope for any gender identity, including non-binary gender identities.

The result also signals the success of an ongoing commitment to improvement in gender representation. Five years
ago, the equivalent leadership team at The Star Sydney comprised 23% women.

The Star Sydney’s COO, Damian Quayle said that achieving gender equality in the leadership team was the result of a
focused effort including the development of a talent acquisition and recruitment pipeline, fostering an inclusive and
diverse work environment and implementing a group-wide gender equality strategy.

“I am incredibly proud to say that my leadership team reflects a more balanced representation of genders, of our
workforce, of our community and the millions of guests we welcome each year,” Mr Quayle said.

“I wholeheartedly believe that equal representation drives better teamwork, a wider base of experience to drawn upon
and ultimately greater performance.”

The Star Entertainment Group’s Chief People and Performance Officer, Kim Lee added, “We recognise that diversity –
of genders, different cultural backgrounds, experiences and ideas is critical to creating a welcoming environment for
our guests and team members. With more women being elevated to senior roles than ever, The Star is on track to
meet its targets.”

Following the appointments of Sandra Thefs and Christina Lambert, the team now comprises three women and three
men.

Speaking of the two appointments, Mr Quayle said: “Sandra adds over 25 years’ experience in the gaming industry to
the team. She most recently spearheaded delivery of Sovereign, The Star Sydney’s $250 million premium
entertainment and gaming venue.

“Since taking on the role as Director of Hotels, Christina has truly excelled. She has led The Darling Sydney in
maintaining its pre-eminent position as the only luxury hotel to receive the coveted Forbes’ Five Star award. She is now
also responsible for developing a program that ensures that level of service and guest experience is delivered across
our entire property.”

Sandra Thefs, who has been with The Star since 1995 – first as a dealer at Treasury Brisbane, then venturing south for
the launch of ‘Star City’ in 1997 said a strong network of advocates were key to her progression.

“Throughout my time with The Star, I have always been supported in my ambitions to progress my career by my peers
and my managers,” she said. “They instilled the confidence I needed and encouraged me to take up opportunities I
might not have otherwise pursued.

”As Chair of Balance at The Star, our gender equality network, I have seen firsthand the progress we have made in a
short space of time.

“Although there is more work to be done to achieve parity across the board, we have clear direction from our Executive
team, a newly released gender equality strategy to help our targets and a committed workforce all working towards the
same goal.”

The Star Sydney’s Director of Hotel and Guest Experiences, Christina Lambert, said she is thrilled to be part of a
leadership group that values equity, diversity, and inclusion.

“I have had the pleasure of leading The Star Sydney’s hotel team over the last two years, and excited to extend my role
into guest experience across the property,” Ms Lambert said.

“It is important for me to see a balanced representation of genders in our teams, and I’m grateful to be part of that and
ensuring it is reflected across all levels of The Star’s operations.”

Sandra and Christina join Samantha Apps on The Star Sydney‘s leadership team.

Ms Apps joined The Star Entertainment Group in 2017 as General Manager, Group Procurement where she led the
transformation of that function, increasing benefits delivery by 150% over her first two years.

She moved into The Star Sydney’s leadership team in February 2021 as General Manager, Hospitality and Group
Supply Chain. A passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion, Ms Apps is an active ally and member of the ‘Proud at
The Star’ committee that champions a safe, inclusive and welcoming environment for LGBTQI+ team members and
guests, and NSW state representative on Chief Executive Women’s Connect Committee that supports the pathway to
the C-Suite for talented women across Australia.

exclusive-content

Lottomart launches S Gaming slot Dragon’s Rage as permanent UK exclusive

Published

3 minutes ago

June 23, 2026

Wladimir P.

lottomart-launches-s-gaming-slot-dragon’s-rage-as-permanent-uk-exclusive

Lottomart has launched Dragon’s Rage, a new S Gaming slot available as a permanent exclusive to Lottomart players in the UK.

The release follows the partnership’s previous exclusive title, Fisherman’s Fortune, and adds another game to Lottomart’s exclusive-content portfolio.

Set in a dragon’s treasure lair, Dragon’s Rage uses a 1,024-ways-to-win format. Features include the Coil Collect mechanic, choice-led Free Spins, and Rage Spins. The game also includes three fixed-level jackpots: Inferno, Flame and Ember.

Chris Ruddock, Commercial Director at Lottomart, commented: “We’re delighted to launch Dragon’s Rage as a permanent UK exclusive. Developed in close collaboration with S Gaming, the game combines a strong fantasy theme with engaging features designed with our players in mind. We’re looking forward to seeing how our customers respond to the launch.”

Charles Mott, CEO of S Gaming, added: “Dragon’s Rage is the latest title developed through our close collaboration with Lottomart. It has been a pleasure working together on the concept and development of the game, and we’re proud to bring this new fantasy adventure exclusively to Lottomart players in the UK.”

The post Lottomart launches S Gaming slot Dragon’s Rage as permanent UK exclusive appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

DATA.BET

DATA.BET reports 39.7% GGR growth in year one of sports betting vertical

Published

3 minutes ago

June 23, 2026

Wladimir P.

databet-reports-39.7%-ggr-growth-in-year-one-of-sports-betting-vertical

Supplier cites 147.6% active user growth and increased bet activity across football and basketball in the first 12 months.

DATA.BET has published first-year performance results for its sports betting vertical, marking 12 months since the product’s official launch. The supplier said results from newly acquired clients show 39.7% GGR growth and 147.6% growth in active users over the period.

The company also reported turnover up 30.7% quarter-on-quarter. It said betting activity increased, with the number of bets and stake volume up 83.5%, while combo bets rose 160.5%.

By sport, DATA.BET said football led engagement, with bet counts up 107.5% and active users up 173.1%. Table Tennis saw a 172.5% increase in its player base, while tennis posted bet counts up 33.6% and active players up 35%. The supplier pointed to basketball as the strongest commercial contributor, with turnover up 83.7% and its user base up 96.8%.

DATA.BET attributed performance to product features including Bet Builder (football, basketball, baseball, and American football), streaming within the betting interface, and widgets for match and player data. The company also highlighted official data partnerships with Infront (tennis), Odds Composer (basketball), Genius Sports, and BETER.

At tournament level, DATA.BET said the England Premier League was the most profitable tournament over the full year, with event count up 45.7% and “close to half of total betting volume” generated through the 1X2 market. The supplier added that top-tier tournaments outperformed low-tier disciplines across turnover (102.7%), profit (187.2%), and bet count (196.6%).

“Taken together, the first year demonstrated that scale and stability are not opposing forces — broad coverage, official data, and engagement-focused features directly contributed to growth across turnover, player numbers, and betting activity”, said Yevhenii Ilchenko, Head of Sports at DATA.BET. “We built the vertical on the right foundations from the first, and the numbers reflect that. “

The post DATA.BET reports 39.7% GGR growth in year one of sports betting vertical appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

GGPoker

GGPoker adds Kick support to Streamer Mode

Published

3 minutes ago

June 23, 2026

Wladimir P.

ggpoker-adds-kick-support-to-streamer-mode

Approved creators can now stream directly to Kick via the desktop client, alongside Twitch and YouTube.

GGPoker has expanded its Streamer Mode feature to support Kick.com, enabling approved creators to broadcast directly to Kick through the GGPoker desktop client.

Streamer Mode is GGPoker’s in-client streaming feature for approved broadcasters, offering tools and rewards while they stream. The company said benefits include up to 100% cashback on poker games played while actively streaming, automatic hole-card hiding to reduce stream sniping, and a dedicated Streamer Panel for managing open tables.

GGPoker also said Streamer Mode includes streamer-exclusive in-game cosmetics and the option for a live stream to be showcased within the main lobby of the GGPoker software.

“Our streamers are the heartbeat of the modern online poker community, sharing the thrill of the game with audiences worldwide,” said Sarne Lightman, Managing Director of GGPoker. “We are constantly looking for ways to empower these creators. Integrating a dynamic, creator-friendly platform like Kick into our Streamer Mode gives our players even more ways to build their brands, engage with fans, and maximize their rewards. We can’t wait to see the incredible content our community brings to Kick.”

To use Streamer Mode on Kick, YouTube, or Twitch, players must apply to become an approved GGPoker streamer. GGPoker said applicants who have streamed poker consistently for the past three months with an average of 40+ concurrent viewers are encouraged to contact its talent team at [email protected].

The post GGPoker adds Kick support to Streamer Mode appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.