• Subscribe
  • Magazines
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
Monday 7 July 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

Victorian regulator preparing “Plan B” to continue casino ops if Crown’s Melbourne license revoked, but remediation efforts “pleasing”

Ben Blaschke by Ben Blaschke
Mon 6 Mar 2023 at 13:58
Victorian regulator preparing “Plan B” to continue casino ops if Crown’s Melbourne license revoked, but remediation efforts “pleasing”

VGCCC CEO Annette Kimmitt speaking at the Regulating the Game conference in Sydney.

72
SHARES
1.8k
VIEWS
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) is actively working on what it calls its “Plan B” with the goal of ensuring Melbourne’s casino can continue operating should Crown Resorts be found unsuitable, the regulator’s CEO revealed on Monday.

Annette Kimmitt told Inside Asian Gaming that implementation of a strategic plan for Crown’s worst-case scenario was a key initiative of the VGCCC as it prepares to make a decision on the operator’s suitability early next year.

“There has been a lot in the press in Australia about casinos being too big to fail, and not having those contingency arrangements in place or available to them at the time meant the Royal Commissioner in Victoria’s hands were tied,” said Kimmett, who was keynote speaker at the Regulating the Game conference which kicked off in Sydney on Monday morning.

“Crown was found not suitable but there was no ‘Plan B’, so we really need to make sure we are putting in place the legislative framework to ensure continuity of service even if Crown is found unsuitable.”

Crown, whose Melbourne casino facility is currently under the watch of a Special Manager, was found unsuitable to retain its casino license in October 2021 after a Royal Commission uncovered multiple contraventions of the Casino Control Act and the Gambling Regulation Act, including various anti-money laundering and responsible gambling breaches.

It was, however, afforded a two-year window within which to return to suitability. Stephen O’Brien, the Special Manager appointed to oversee Crown’s remediation efforts, is due to hand down his final report on the success of those efforts by the end of the year, after which the VGCCC will make a determination on whether Crown can again be deemed suitable to operate the Melbourne casino.

Crown Melbourne

Asked how a “Plan B” might look should the VGCCC return a finding of unsuitability, Kimmitt told IAG, “That’s a work in progress but think of it like when you appoint receivers or managers into organizations where they come in and take over the running of the organization.

“That’s the intent – somebody able, through a transition-out plan that we are working on with Crown, to go in and take over the day-to-day operations of the casino to keep more jobs going and keep the casino operating, which will give the government time to run a process around the issue of the new casino license.”

While Kimmitt would not be drawn on Crown’s progress in returning to suitability, she did admit she was impressed by the efforts of the operator and its new owner, US private equity giant The Blackstone Group, in addressing past failings.

“They’ve got a lot on the line here and they are running really hard at doing everything they can to return to suitability. We are really pleased with the approach they are taking, the attitude and mindset,” she said.

“They are being very cooperative with us which doesn’t mean they don’t push back on some things, but I think that is healthy. We’ve established a really good working relationship with the new owners and the new leadership team.

“What was really pleasing in working with Blackstone is that when we put to them that much higher bar of expectations, they signed up to it. They have incorporated those into their board charters and they’ve agreed to be bound to them under the deeds we’ve agreed with them in making major changes.

“So that commitment to doing more is really heartening to us, but in the event that they are found unsuitable there is no intent to turn off the casino here. The intent is to have continuity of operations.

“It is public policy in Victoria that we have and will continue to have a casino so that’s not in question. The government is committed to having a casino functioning but a casino that delivers sustainable benefits to Victoria. Where we as a regulator have landed is you don’t get sustainable benefits for Victorians unless you have an operator that’s got integrity, is safe and is fair, so all of those elements are critical to the operating model.”

In response to Kimmitt’s comments, a Crown spokesman told IAG, “Under new ownership and management, Crown has accelerated its Future Crown program, which is transforming the business and delivering whole-of-company reform.

“We are fully focused on delivering against the findings of the royal commission and continue to work constructively with the VGCCC and the Government to ensure we build a Crown that exceeds the expectations of our stakeholders and the community.”

Kimmitt also provided an update on work being done by Crown Melbourne around a move to cashless gaming by the end of the year. Widespread implementation of cashless gaming was one of a dozen recommendations emanating from Victoria’s Royal Commission that were passed into law last September with the express goal of boosting government oversight of Crown and combatting financial crime.

“We’ve established a technology working group that involves the VGCCC, Crown and the government, and we’re all working through that [move to cashless] because there is a very long list of technical issues to make this happen,” Kimmitt explained.

“We are ploughing our way through pretty quickly and where there are barriers because of technology, we’re going through the process of figuring out the workaround.

“So it’s a lot of collaboration happening between us, Crown, the testing labs, the EGM monitoring licensees and the government to navigate through.”

RelatedPosts

Star to open AU$3.6 billion Queen’s Wharf Brisbane development on 29 August

Star’s Hong Kong partners offer one month reprieve to complete Queen’s Wharf Brisbane deal

Mon 7 Jul 2025 at 08:55
Hong Kong’s Far East Consortium reports first full year gaming revenue after Australian, European acquisitions

Workers at The Star Brisbane take strike action over “insulting” pay offer

Sun 6 Jul 2025 at 09:13
The 2024 Asian Gaming Power 50

Bally’s ready to pull out of Star rescue deal if AUSTRAC issues monster fine

Fri 4 Jul 2025 at 05:37
Genting Malaysia’s New York subsidiaries price an additional US$100 million senior notes as equity raising continues

Genting Malaysia says full casino operations could be launched within six months if New York bid successful

Tue 1 Jul 2025 at 06:11
Load More
Tags: Annette KimmittAustraliacasino licenseCrown MelbourneCrown ResortssuitabilityVictorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission
Share29Share5
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

Editorial – An inconvenient truth

Editorial – An inconvenient truth

by Ben Blaschke
Fri 27 Jun 2025 at 15:21

It’s understandable that political observers, academics and members of the public in greenfield jurisdictions would express caution around the legalization...

Light & Wonder’s Siobhan Lane

Light & Wonder’s Siobhan Lane

by Ben Blaschke
Fri 27 Jun 2025 at 15:19

Siobhan Lane, Light & Wonder’s highly experienced CEO of Gaming, speaks to Inside Asian Gaming about the company’s ongoing transformation...

Honesty is the best policy

Honesty is the best policy

by Ben Blaschke
Fri 27 Jun 2025 at 14:13

The Thailand Entertainment Complex Roundtable brought industry stakeholders, politicians and supporters of the government’s Entertainment Complex Bill face to face...

Sri Lanka’s casino industry

Sri Lanka’s casino industry

by Shaun McCamley
Fri 27 Jun 2025 at 13:36

Industry veteran Shaun McCamley delves into the complex history of Sri Lanka’s casino industry at a time when the country...

Evolution Asia
Your browser does not support HTML5 video.
Aristocrat
GLI
Nustar
SABA
Mindslot
Solaire
Hann
Tecnet
NWR
Jumbo
568Win

Related Posts

DigiPlus launches US$106 million share buyback scheme

DigiPlus launches US$106 million share buyback scheme

by Newsdesk
Mon 7 Jul 2025 at 10:17

Philippine gaming technology firm DigiPlus Interactive Corp has announced the launch of a Php6 billion (US$106 million) share buyback scheme that it says highlights the company’s confidence in its long-term growth prospects. Notably, the announcement comes just days after company...

Star to open AU$3.6 billion Queen’s Wharf Brisbane development on 29 August

Star’s Hong Kong partners offer one month reprieve to complete Queen’s Wharf Brisbane deal

by Ben Blaschke
Mon 7 Jul 2025 at 08:55

A deal to offload its 50% stake in the AU$3.6 billion (US$2.4 billion) The Star Brisbane integrated resort at Queen’s Wharf is still on the table for Star Entertainment Group after revealing Monday that its Hong Kong partners have granted...

Inside Thai IRs

Thai government may formally withdraw casino bill from House agenda citing need for new cabinet to review

by Newsdesk
Mon 7 Jul 2025 at 05:20

The Thai government will consider formally withdrawing its controversial Entertainment Complex Bill from the House agenda this week in order to allow a thorough review by the newly appointed cabinet, said Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat. The bill could be...

JP Morgan analysis says Bangkok IRs could generate combined US$5 billion annually

Thai authorities arrest 70 in bust of illegal Bangkok gambling den

by Newsdesk
Sun 6 Jul 2025 at 14:41

With the prospect of legal casinos in Thailand looking more remote by the day, authorities have arrested more than 70 people after busting an illegal gambling den in the Phahon Yothin area of Bangkok. According to The Bangkok Post, 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