United Workers Union members are cautiously optimistic that a new deal struck by the embattled Star Entertainmet Group will bring much-needed stability to their work lives.

United Workers Union Casinos Director Andrew Jones said the deal announced last night with US casinos giant Bally’s  appeared to be good news for workers who had been facing wholesale job losses if the casino group had collapsed.

“Nine thousand Star Casinos workers have faced the prospect of imminent job losses since Star revealed its financial difficulties in January this year,” Mr Jones said.

“Any deal that promises to keep venues in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Sydney operating as a going concern is a good result for the Star workers, their families and the communities they live in.

“Keeping the casinos going is also a good result for the economies of both states, and for the thousands of additional jobs in hundreds of businesses that also depend on the casinos.

“As we have said repeatedly, the alternative without a sensible resolution was literally thousands of workers facing the unemployment queue.”