Roosters boss Nick Politis snaps up Brisbane’s Caxton Hotel in ~$50m pub play
Billionaire and Sydney Roosters chair Nick Politis has picked up one of Brisbane’s best-known venues, the Caxton Hotel, in a deal worth about $50 million — and it’s right down the road from the NRL-owned Beetson Hotel.
Contracts were inked in recent days with the Farquhar family, ending their 28-year run as owners of the rugby league institution. The sale has surfaced on a Queensland Government liquor and gaming public register, with approvals still pending.
The move beefs up Politis’ southeast Queensland pub footprint alongside his automotive interests. Through SEQ Hospitality Group, he now counts eight hotels and 20 bottle shops, including the QA in Fortitude Valley, Tree Tops in West Burleigh, the Boathouse in Coomera, Ashmore Tavern, Aspley Tavern, The Plough Inn and The Court House Hotel in Murwillumbah.
Buying the Caxton also sets up a friendly stoush with league HQ. The NRL — which bought the former Gambaro Hotel three years ago and rebadged it as The Beetson to honour the late Maroons great Arthur Beetson — is pumping more than $1 million into a new sports bar there, promising a “rugby league IMAX experience.”
The Beetson revamp comes as Suncorp Stadium and its precinct get a broader glow-up. The Queensland Government has flagged capacity increases beyond 52,500 seats and facility upgrades ahead of the 2032 Olympics and Paralympics. The NRL wants its shiny new bar open before the code’s 2026 season kickoff in Las Vegas.
Both Politis and Farquhar declined to comment, citing confidentiality clauses tied to the transaction.
Jonathan Jackson, 3rd November 2025
