James Packer and Nine Entertainment boss David Gyngell have been fined A$500 each over a May 4 street brawl outside Mr Packer’s apartment in Sydney’s upscale Bondi Beach.
New South Police issued criminal infringement notices for offensive behavior to the two, an action that is likely lay to rest speculation that the incident might create regulatory problems for the billionaire casino operator and his ASX-listed flagship company, Crown Resorts.
The notice is “almost like a parking fine” and wouldn’t decide whether Mr Packer gets licenses for casinos he wants to develop across Asia, Jamie Nettleton, a partner specializing in gaming at Addisons Lawyers in Sydney, told Bloomberg.
Crown, controlled by Mr Packer via a 50% stake, operates two casinos in Australia and two in Macau as part of its Melco Crown Entertainment joint venture. Melco is building major new resorts in Macau and in the Philippines and is interested in expanding in Japan if casinos are legalized there. Crown separately is developing new resorts in Sydney and Sri Lanka and lobbying for a casino license in Brisbane. The company also is reported to be interested in bidding to buy a resort on the Las Vegas Strip.
“The regulators do have complete discretion, but they will exercise it in accordance with objective criteria and, frankly, how serious any issue is that is brought to their attention,” Mr Nettleton added.
Probity tests are set up “really in respect of organized crime, money laundering and connections with those things,” he said.
“What is the nexus between a low-grade fight with a friend and ability to operate or manage a casino?” said David Green, principal of Macau-based gaming adviser Newpage Consulting. “I very much doubt that it would be something which, in the eyes of a regulator, would adversely reflect on Mr. Packer’s suitability”.
Photographs of the casino tycoon squaring up to his former schoolmate and best man and wrestling with him on the ground were splashed across newspaper front pages in Australia and published worldwide.
