Perth Casino Royal Commission Finds Crown Unfit To Hold Gaming Licence

Perth Crown will keep its casino licence despite the royal commission findings to the contrary.

The 11-month enquiry into Crown Resorts found the operator unfit to hold a casino licence in Western Australia but will be two-years grace to implement the 59 recommendations.

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Lead commissioner Neville Owen delivered the final report in WA Parliament on Thursday, which determined Crown had facilitated money laundering, failed to detect suspicious transactions, permitted junkets with criminal links and failed to minimise gambling-related harm via gaming machines.

The report also found “numerous deficiencies” in the oversight of the casino by WA’s gaming regulator, the Gaming and Wagering Commission (GWC), which the commission found the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries contributed to.

The organisations were found to have failed in demonstrating "an adequate or accurate understanding of its role in casino regulation".

WA Racing and Gaming Minister Tony Buti, accepted on behalf of the government the royal commission's findings said the people of Western Australia "deserve better".

"Put simply, in many cases Crown has demonstrated poor corporate citizenship," he said.

"It is a privilege to hold a gambling licence in Western Australia and the royal commission has shown that, at times, Crown has abused that privilege."

"Crown needs to do better but the state's regulator also needs to do better," Mr Buti declared.

Crown Resorts released a statement acknowledging the report's findings and recommendations, confirming it would "work cooperatively and constructively with the Western Australian government".

Crown chief executive, Steve McCann, said the company had already undergone significant transformation.

“This includes investment in people, systems, processes, culture and a sharp focus on responsible gaming and the prevention of financial crime,” he said in a statement.

“Crown remains committed to continuous improvement across all facets of the business and is prioritising the delivery of safe and responsible gaming across all of our resorts, including Crown Perth.”

- Steve McCann

The Royal Commission report follows similar findings in both NSW and Victoria.

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