Crown Resorts Suffers Melbourne Blow
It’s been a tumultuous period for Aussie casino operator, Crown Resorts. For the last eighteen months, Crown has been subjected to numerous investigations into the integrity of its financial procedures, with probes conducted into the operations of several of its venues. One such investigation, which commenced way back in February 2021, is still reviewing evidence that emerged as a result of case findings.
On Monday, the body conducting its inquiry into illicit activity at Crown’s Melbourne property, announced that due to an extensive list of social responsibility violations, the toiling casino concessionaire would likely soon be receiving another severe punishment. In October 2021, the Royal Commission, a Victoria-based organization which presided over the initial review into Crown Melbourne’s financial behaviours, declared the firm unsuitable to hold a license in the region. Prior to this, the Bergin Inquiry conducted in New South Wales, similarly concluded that the troubled operator was not fit to run a casino in line with regulatory standards. It had been discovered, in both cases, that Crown had facilitated acts of money laundering, and had strong links to criminal groups.
However, the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission, who is currently delving further into Crown Melbourne’s historical processes as a follow-up to the original investigation, has unearthed a series of breaches of the ‘Responsible Services of Gambling Regulations’. It’s been alleged that Crown hadn’t been ‘’adequately supervising or interacting with hundreds or possibly thousands of customers who exhibited signs of problem or risky gambling’’
The VGCCC chair, Fran Thorn, has condemned Crown’s approach, and assured their actions will be met with a proportionate level of punishment. Should the Australian gaming giant be found guilty of the aforementioned charges, they may receive a fine of up to AUS$100m ($68.5m), have conditions enforced on their licensing terms, or face being dragged through a rectification process in order to significantly improve compliance levels.
