A few days ago, the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority in New South Wales revealed that the ongoing inquiry into the sustainability of Crown Resorts to hold a gambling operating license in the state had been postponed for an indefinite period of time due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The state’s gambling watchdog explained that it had decided that most of the casino inquiry actions would be deferred in the light of the ongoing Covid-19 crisis until it is considered safe for all public aspects of the probe to resume. The gambling regulatory body shared that the decision was made after careful consideration of the current situation and in line with the advice and restrictions unveiled by the Commonwealth and State Government.
As explained in the notice, the probe into the gambling giant’s sustainability to hold an official permit for operating gambling services would resume as soon as the circumstances allow it.
According to the Australian Department of Health, as of April 3rd mid-afternoon, when the announcement was released, there had been 5,350 confirmed Covid-19 cases in the country, with a total of 26 death cases.
The inquiry was already halted back at the end of February 2020, as the New South Wales Court of Appeal was expected to issue a decision on whether the Asian gambling company is obliged to present some legally-privileged company documents to the state’s gambling watchdog as part of the ongoing regulatory probe. As Casino Guardian revealed, the court ruled that Melco Resorts ought to do so.
Crown Resorts Faces Inquiry Due to Alleged Connections with Stanley Ho and His Associates
For the time being, Crown Resorts owns and operates one casino complex in Melbourne and one in Perth, and is constructing another one in Barangaroo in Sydney. At the time when the liquor and gambling regulatory authority of New South Wales made the announcement about the postponement of the inquiry actions, the casino operator confirmed its readiness to continue to fully cooperate with the authorities in regard to the probe.
The investigation into the company’s sustainability to hold a casino operating license in the state of New South Wales came after reports of the alleged connection between Crown Resorts and some criminal organisations and illegal activity associated with the businessman Stanley Ho. The rumours, on the other hand, appeared after last May the Australian gambling giant revealed that the Asian casino operator Melco Resorts and Entertainment Ltd was set to acquire a 19.99% stake in Crown Resorts in two equal tranches.
Following the allegations and the beginning of the probe, Melco Revealed that it no longer wishes to pursue the planned purchase of the second tranche of shares in the Australian casino company.
At the time when that announcement was made, a public inquiry into the Crown-Melco deal had already been started by the gambling regulatory body of the state of New South Wales. In addition, Crown Resorts faced a probe whether it had violated the terms of its Barangaroo project operating licence and whether it is sustainable to continue holding that licence considering the allegations of connections with criminal organisations and illegal activity.
- Author
Olivia Cole
