Two non-executive directors of the Star Entertainment Group have announced their intention to step down from the Board.

According to an ASX announcement by the company on Friday following another damaging week of public hearings – part of a regular review into Star’s suitability to retain its casino license for The Star Sydney – non-executive directors Sally Pitkin and Gerard Bradley will both stand down in the coming months. Pitkin will step down “by the end of the financial year” and Bradley “in the coming months”, the announcement said, with other changes expected to occur in due course.

Having largely dodged scrutiny in recent years while Crown endured an inquiry in NSW, home to Crown Sydney, and Royal Commissions in Victoria and Western Australia, home to Crown Melbourne and Crown Perth, Star now finds itself treading a familiar path as it fights to save its reputation.

In Friday’s ASX filing, Star said it “notes the evidence in relation to Board renewal given in the public hearings in connection with the review of The Star Sydney being undertaken by Mr Adam Bell SC.

“As advised on 1 April 2022 in announcing the appointment of interim Executive Chairman John O’Neill AO, the Board acknowledged the need for accelerated Board change and would embark on a program of renewal in a timely manner. The Board is also mindful of the need for stability in this transitional period.”

Following the success of the 2021 Season, the Global Esports Tour returns for its second season, with Dubai kicking off the 2022 Season of the professional esports tournament. The GET will commence this June 9-11 as part of Dubai’s EMG 2022 Esports Festival, organised by the Esports Management Group (EMG).

The GET comprises a series of competitions staged across key global cities throughout the year. Each tournament stage will showcase a unique esports title. The first of this year’s GET series will be played on CS:GO. The GEF has established a total prize pool of $1 million+ this season.

“With more than 500 million fans for our inaugural Global Esports Games in Singapore in December, the second season of the Global Esports Tour 2022 is set to be epic as players, athletes and fans return to live events around the world. We are hyper-focused on presenting powerful opportunities on the best stages in the world as the GET 2022 is locked in for our #worldconnected community to meet, play, compete and connect live in person,” Paul J. Foster, CEO of the GEF, said.

Following the recently concluded Expo 2020 Dubai, Dubai kicks off the GET world tour across key global cities this year and will be the first of a series of global esports events in the GEF 2022 calendar.

The GEF #worldconnected community will head to Birmingham on August 6-7, 2022, for the first-ever Commonwealth Esports Championships; and Istanbul 2022 Global Esports Games in December.

Genius Sports has announced the financial results for its fiscal 2022 first quarter ended March 31, 2022.

Highlights

• Delivered Group Revenue of $85.9m, outperforming first quarter outlook by 10%.
• Group Adjusted EBITDA of ($2.9m), exceeding first quarter outlook by 42%.
• Reaffirmed 2022 Group Revenue and Group Adjusted EBITDA outlook of $340m and $15m, respectively, and 2023 outlook of $430m to $440m and $40m to $50m, respectively.

“Our strong first quarter is a result of successful execution. We began 2022 with a comprehensive Investor Day, outlining our strategic plan and underlying assumptions supporting our financial outlook. Our financial and operational achievements in the quarter demonstrate our ability to deliver on that plan and increase our competitive advantages through unique and proven technology,” Mark Locke, Co-Founder and CEO of Genius Sports, said.