Crown Limited co-chairman James Packer is backing The Star’s plan to build a 360-room hotel to compete with Crown’s $2 billion Sydney casino project.

Last week, The Star Entertainment Group confirmed that it is in discussions with the New South Wales government to build a 360-room hotel at its casino complex at Sydney’s Darling Harbor. The Star is also tapping the Ritz-Carlton brand to operate the luxury hotel tower, which could open by 2020. This would beat Crown’s six-star hotel by more than a year.

Since this project will be located across from the 275 meter Crown Sydney hotel–part of Crown’s $2 billion Barangaroo casino project, media speculated that it will intensify the casino war between the two rivals.

But it hasn’t. In fact, Packer expressed his support to The Star’s upgrades, which could attract more high rollers from Asia.