• Subscribe
  • Magazines
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
Thursday 29 May 2025
  • zh-hant 中文
  • ja 日本語
  • en English
IAG
Advertisement
  • Newsfeed
  • Mag Articles
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Tags
  • Regional
    • Africa
    • Australia
    • Cambodia
    • China
    • CNMI
    • Europe
    • Hong Kong
    • India
    • Japan
    • Laos
    • Latin America
    • Malaysia
    • Macau
    • Nepal
    • New Zealand
    • North America
    • North Korea
    • Philippines
    • Russia
    • Singapore
    • South Korea
    • Sri Lanka
    • Thailand
    • UAE
    • Vietnam
  • Events
  • Contributors
  • SUBSCRIBE FREE
No Result
View All Result
IAG
  • Newsfeed
  • Mag Articles
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Tags
  • Regional
    • Africa
    • Australia
    • Cambodia
    • China
    • CNMI
    • Europe
    • Hong Kong
    • India
    • Japan
    • Laos
    • Latin America
    • Malaysia
    • Macau
    • Nepal
    • New Zealand
    • North America
    • North Korea
    • Philippines
    • Russia
    • Singapore
    • South Korea
    • Sri Lanka
    • Thailand
    • UAE
    • Vietnam
  • Events
  • Contributors
  • SUBSCRIBE FREE
No Result
View All Result
IAG
No Result
View All Result

Crown Resorts found suitable to retain Melbourne casino license but China investigation ongoing

Ben Blaschke by Ben Blaschke
Sat 4 Aug 2018 at 13:13
Crown Resorts found suitable to retain Melbourne casino license but China investigation ongoing

Crown Melbourne

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Crown Resorts has received a welcome tick of approval after local gaming regulator, the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation (VCGLR), found the company and its subsidiary Crown Melbourne “remains a suitable person to hold a casino license” in its Sixth Review of the Melbourne Casino Operator and Licence.

But there could still be further ramifications arising from the arrests of 19 Crown Resorts employees in mainland China in October 2016 with the VCGLR stating that its investigation into the incident is ongoing and therefore wasn’t taken into account as part of its periodic review.

Following a turbulent 24-month period for Crown Resorts – which included the China arrests, a subsequent split from former Macau partner Melco Resorts, the scrapping of its planned Alon project in Las Vegas and allegations by MP Andrew Wilkie in federal parliament of illegal conduct by the operator at flagship property Crown Melbourne – the Sixth Review of the Melbourne Casino Operator and Licence was generally complimentary of Crown’s performance.

In its finding for the period from 1 July 2013 to 30 June 2018, the VCGLR said, “The business of the Melbourne Casino is generally conducted in compliance with obligations under laws and the Transaction Documents and the casino operator is generally compliant with its regulatory obligations.

“Crown Melbourne and its ASX listed parent company Crown Resorts Limited are financially sound. The Melbourne Casino is operationally robust. The Melbourne Casino Complex is, as required, a high quality ‘international class’ casino complex. Finally, Crown’s executives and management are well experienced in the industry and in functions complementary to the operation of casinos.”

Particularly pleasing for Crown were the VCGLR’s findings regarding the accusations made by federal MP Wilkie under parliamentary privilege in October, which included allegations of slot machine tampering, allowing drug use on premises, covering up domestic violence, letting staff gamble on premises and failing to report some transactions of over AU$10,000 as required by law. The VCGLR found instead that Wilkie’s accusations were either not supported by evidence following audits of all slot machines at Crown Melbourne, or were “misinformed.”

The VCGLR did, however, acknowledge three instances where Crown failed to pay sufficient attention to regulatory requirements and suffered disciplinary punishments as a result. They involved the unauthorized decommissioning of pre-commitment facilities on fully automated table games; a failure to properly document play from overseas junkets; and a recent gaming machine trial whereby Crown modified some slot machines without the required approvals.

“These matters could have been avoided if sufficient attention to the requirements of the regulatory regime had been paid,” the Commission said.

More importantly, the VCGLR made it clear that its investigation into the China arrests, which saw 16 Crown Resorts staff jailed in Shanghai for between nine and 10 months each, was ongoing due to delays stemming from a class action launched against the company by shareholders last December. The class action alleges a failure by Crown Resorts to comply with its continuous disclosure obligations while engaging in misleading and deceptive conduct in relation to its business operations in China.

The VCGLR, which launched its own investigation into the China arrests in July 2017, said it conducted it final witness interview on 10 May 2018 but that further documents had since been disclosed to court by Crown’s solicitors against the class action. As such, “the VCGLR has not taken into account, in forming the opinions required by section 25 of the Casino Control Act, anything of what has been learned to date in respect of the detention of the 19 Crown staff in China.

“The VCGLR will continue with its investigation and, at the appropriate time, will assess whether the events in China give cause for regulatory action.”

Among the recommendations included in the VCGLR’s report are for the development by Crown Resorts of a new governance framework to improve decision making between its various boards and committees and the strengthening of responsible gambling measures via data analytics and enhanced facial recognition technology.

RelatedPosts

A moral defense of gambling

A moral defense of gambling

Wed 28 May 2025 at 18:19
Australia’s Star Entertainment Group says available cash halved in December 2024 quarter as liquidity crunch bites again

Bally’s wants broad review of Star’s operations if AU$300 million investment proposal approved by shareholders

Tue 27 May 2025 at 06:09
Crown Perth confirms two key appointments as new Chairman and new CEO named

Crown Perth confirms two key appointments as new Chairman and new CEO named

Mon 26 May 2025 at 18:06
We’re Back!

Decision on Crown Perth’s suitability said to be imminent

Mon 26 May 2025 at 13:33
Load More
Share3Share
Ben Blaschke

Ben Blaschke

A former sports journalist in Sydney, Australia, Ben has been Managing Editor of Inside Asian Gaming since early 2016. He played a leading role in developing and launching IAG Breakfast Briefing in April 2017 and oversees as well as being a key contributor to all of IAG’s editorial pursuits.

Current Issue

A moral defense of gambling

A moral defense of gambling

by Andrew Russell
Wed 28 May 2025 at 18:19

Economist Andrew Russell explores the differences between community benefit and in-principle arguments for the existence of a legal gambling industry...

Face to face

Face to face

by Ben Blaschke
Wed 28 May 2025 at 18:08

Konami caught the eye at the recent G2E Asia show in Macau with its SYNK Vision Tables, which utilize facial...

Call of Macau

Call of Macau

by Ben Blaschke
Wed 28 May 2025 at 17:55

The who’s who of the Asian gaming industry descended on Macau in early May for the 16th edition of G2E...

We like to party

We like to party

by Ben Blaschke
Wed 28 May 2025 at 17:28

The Industry Party returned to MGM Cotai on 8 May with around 400 guests attending to make it the largest...

Evolution Asia
Aristocrat
GLI
Mindslot
Mindslot
Solaire
Hann
Tecnet
Nustar
Jumbo

Related Posts

Criminalization of illegal money exchange linked to 61.5% year-on-year increase in Macau’s gaming-related crime in 1Q25

Criminalization of illegal money exchange linked to 61.5% year-on-year increase in Macau’s gaming-related crime in 1Q25

by Pierce Chan
Wed 28 May 2025 at 13:40

In response to the criminalization of money exchange gangs, which came into effect in October 2024, there were 567 gaming crimes in Macau in the first quarter of 2025, representing an increase of 216 cases or 61.5% over the same...

Thailand: Keeping the dream alive

Maybank: Thailand tourism hits rock bottom as Chinese visitors stay away following earthquake, actor abduction

by Ben Blaschke
Wed 28 May 2025 at 12:14

Thailand’s tourism sector is said to have hit rock bottom, with a drastic fall in short-haul visitors – particularly those from China – having severely impacted the industry according to a note from Maybank Securities. At a time when the...

Galaxy, Melco and Wynn to attend major media event “Thai Entertainment Complex Roundtable” alongside Thai voices opposing entertainment complex industry

Galaxy, Melco and Wynn to attend major media event “Thai Entertainment Complex Roundtable” alongside Thai voices opposing entertainment complex industry

by Ben Blaschke
Wed 28 May 2025 at 06:58

Leading international integrated resort operators Galaxy Entertainment Group, Melco Resorts & Entertainment and Wynn Resorts will join prominent opposing voices of Thailand’s efforts to legalize casino gaming for an event unlike any other – the Thailand Entertainment Complex Roundtable (TECR)...

Kangwon Land GGR up 3.8% year-on-year on higher VIP play

Kangwon Land to support local SMEs in entering global slot machines and gaming technology market

by Newsdesk
Wed 28 May 2025 at 06:09

Kangwon Land, the only casino in South Korea at which locals are permitted to gamble, has launched an SME support program through which it will work with domestic suppliers to develop casino technology, including slot machines. The program, titled the...



IAG

© 2005-2024
Inside Asian Gaming.
All rights reserved.

  • SUBSCRIBE FREE
  • NEWSFEED
  • MAG ARTICLES
  • VIDEO
  • OPINION
  • TAGS
  • REGIONAL
  • EVENTS
  • CONSULTING
  • CONTRIBUTORS
  • MAGAZINES
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • ADVERTISE

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

No Result
View All Result
  • Subscribe
  • Newsfeed
  • Mag Articles
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Tags
  • Regional
  • Events
  • Contributors
  • Magazines
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • About
  • Home for G2E Asia

© 2005-2024
Inside Asian Gaming.
All rights reserved.

  • English