Crown Resorts Limited Fined By Casino Regulator for a sum of $778,600. This was for not properly inspecting foreign high-rollers. (Image Source: Crownresorts.com.au)
Crown Resorts Limited, a local casino operator based in Australia has reportedly been fined over 778,600 dollars for failing to inspect foreign high-rollers sufficiently at its property in Crown Melbourne. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reports that the fine labeled on Crown Resort Limited is a financial punishment from the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation.
The report further stated that the penalty is the biggest ever recorded under the Casino Control Act. The report also explains that a royal commission is also separately investigating if the land-based casino operator is suitable to carry a local casino license.
Accused of Vague Associations
Crown Melbourne is a 1,600-room facility owned and it has been managed by Crown Resort Limited since June 1994. The facility was also reportedly sanctioned for failing to vet foreign junket operators adequately. Some of the foreign junket operators are said to be linked to organized crime groups.
The Victorian casino regulator reportedly spoke on the latter finding when they explained that Crown Melbourne had often failed to carry out necessary checks or keep suitable records to ensure that individuals who were shuttling high-value players to Crown Resorts Limited’s property in Victoria were above board.
Below is a statement reportedly made by the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation –
“it was concluded on the analyzed individuals that the processes which Crown Resorts Limited implemented were not strong.” This failure to implement adequate processes and checks implies that how Crown Resorts Limited reached certain decisions remains unclear. It is also unclear whether Crown Resorts Limited made the decisions with due regard to its regulatory obligations.
Served with An Indefinite Ban
Crown Resorts Limited has purportedly been issued a letter of censure as part of its punishment. The letter prohibits Crown Resorts Limited from restarting junket operations indefinitely at its Crown Melbourne venue. In February, the Western Australia casino regulator reportedly served Crown Resorts Limited with an analogous injunction before launching its license suitability probe as regards the 126-acre Crown Perth property.
Samantha Directly Criticize Crown Resorts Limited
Reports had it that Samantha Ratnam, Australian Greens political party local leader purportedly criticized the penalty levied against Crown Resorts Limited by the Victorian casino regulator. She noted that the penalty was too late and too little especially because state and federal regulations have failed to act upon the initial reports for several years before they finally did.
Ratnam reportedly further stated that the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor regulation did not have to wait for the announcement of a royal commission to act on the damning allegations that have been on for years.
Ratnam also purportedly proclaimed that the fine is too little compared to Crown Resorts Limited’s revenue and that they will find it very easy to pay. Ratnam hopes that the government will see the allegations leveled against Crown Resorts Limited as a sign to break them up for good.
Wilkie Describes the Penalty As Paltry
On his own part, Andrew Wilkie, an independent parliamentarian renowned for his anti-slot campaign reportedly describes the sanctions against Crown Resorts Limited as ridiculous. He went on to say that the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation is supposed to fine the casino operator with millions of dollars so that they can serve as a deterrent to other casino operators who misbehave.
Wilkie purportedly said that Crown Resorts Limited displayed willful ignorance by failing to carry out checks and they did not want to do the checks.
Crown Resorts Limited Already Facing Sanctions in Sydney
All these sanctions purportedly follow an earlier refusal meted to Crown Resorts Limited to hinder the company from getting a license for its Crown Sydney development. The license refusal is attributed to concerns that the new Crown Sydney development may have possibly been complicit in many money laundering offenses regarding its use of foreign junket companies.
The 1.5 billion dollars Sydney development reportedly launched at the end of December without the 120 gaming tables earlier planned to complement it. Reports have it that Crown Resorts Limited is now liaising with the New South Wales Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority with the hope of reversing the earlier denial.
Leave A Comment