Federal independent MP and casino reform campaigner Andrew Wilkie has called for an inquiry,saying it was untenable for the NSW gaming regulator to apply less public scrutiny to Sydney’s biggest operating casino than it did to the Melbourne-based Crown.
Mr Crawford said in an interview withThe Age,The Sydney Morning Herald and60 Minutes thatalleged criminal infiltration and money-laundering control failures would be investigated. This would be done via a closed-door inquiry he recently launched to review The Star Sydney’s licence and which is headed by Adam Bell,SC,the senior barrister known for hisforensic examination of Crown executives during theBergin inquiry.
Questioned about alleged criminal infiltration and the failure of anti-money-laundering controls at The Star Sydney,Mr Crawford said:“You say it’s been happening for years. I have no knowledge of that,we don’t know that,and if it’s as bad as you say it is,then that’s certainly something they[The Star] should have reported to us.”
Asked why the NSW regulator had not acted earlier to confront cases involving alleged drug traffickers and organised-crime figures operating at Star’s casinos,he said:“We’ve been very busy obviously with the Crown.”
Mr Crawford called the Bergin inquiry into Crown Resorts,sparking major reforms of the NSW casino oversight regime and royal commissions in Victoria and Western Australia.
But Mr Bell’s review of Star will not examine misconduct or governance failures in public hearings and must report by March.