A bill to be introduced to parliament on Wednesday forms the first legislative response to the Perth Casino Royal Commission report handed down in March.
Crown’s buyer Blackstone has received the tick from regulators in NSW and Victoria.
John Poynton questioned why authorities had not convicted anyone linked to money laundering uncovered first uncovered by this masthead in 2019 and subsequently explored in state inquiries and Royal Commissions into the Crown and Star casinos.
Crown Resorts faces a fine of up to $100 million over its illegal practice of accepting Chinese bank cards to withdraw funds for gambling at its Melbourne casino.
Governments were warned crime would be “knocking on the door” of our casinos. Over time,they allowed it to walk right in.
The commission recommended far-reaching changes,including capping the time patrons can spend on electronic gaming machines and the amounts they can risk.
The Perth commission was the third and final major state inquiry into the operations of Crown casinos and resorts,triggered by reporting that found its casinos were being used to launder money.
If the proposed problem gambling crackdown is applied only to Crown,not smaller gaming venues,the reforms will be undermined.
The state’s leaders faced many questions about who suggested an inquiry leader so closely linked to its witnesses. Why did they avoid the answer now revealed?
James Packer has done better than he expected,or deserved,by selling his shares in the scandal-ridden company.
Barry Felstead has faced grillings at Royal Commissions around the country around what he knew about the arrests of 19 employees in China,and questions remain.