The fate of Crown’s casino in Burswood is in the hands of a royal commission which is to determine whether the operator is eligible to keep its casino license. This was announced by the government of West Australia (WA), following the inquiry that deemed Crown Resorts unsuitable to operate its newest casino in Sydney.
Lindy Jenkins and Neville Owen, both former WA Supreme Court judges, and Colin Murphy, former WA auditor-general, will be the three commissioners that will run the royal commission.
Royal Commission to Investigate Crown’s Perth Casino
According to the Racing and Gaming Minister, Paul Papalia, the investigation of the royal commission may cost the government about $5 million. Justice Owen is assigned to oversee the activity of the royal commission as he has previous experience in heading the royal commission that was investigating the huge insurance company HIH Insurance.
An interim report is expected to be presented in June, while the final report of the royal commission should follow in November of this year. Last month, the WA’s Gaming and Wagering Commission (GWC) recommended an entirely independent investigation into Crown’s eligibility to hold the only casino license in the state.
In addition to the inquiry into the operator’s casino license, the royal commission will also investigate WA’s regulatory body – GWC. The results from this inquiry are expected to be presented in the interim report in June.
Mr Papalia explained the role of the royal commission which was assigned with the task to evaluate the regulations in WA by investigating the regulatory body. The commission is expected to discover whether any conflicts may have impacted the operation of the regulator during the inquiry into Crown’s Sydney casino location.
The royal commission investigation follows the Bergin inquiry which determined that Crown is unsuitable to operate its new casino in Sydney. Mr Papalia said that the WA royal commission plans to be even more thorough with its inquiry by including the state’s regulator in its inspections.
Crown to Keep Its License During the Royal Commission Inquiry
Due to legislative restrictions, Attorney-General John Quigley was advised that the investigation should be conducted as a royal commission and not as an inquiry. He noted that even though the inquiry will have the same rights as a royal commission, the commissioners will not be entitled to the protections that are typically ensured by the Royal Commissions Act.
Mr Papalia acknowledged that since the GWC has already taken measures to regulate Crown, there is no need for the suspension of the operator’s license during the inquiry. Since there is no immediate risk of money laundering or junket operation scams, Crown will be able to keep its casino license in Perth during the investigation process.
The Executive Chairman of Crown Resorts, Helen Coonan, stated that the operator is ready to fully cooperate with the inquiry carried out by the royal commission. She stated that the royal commission will help the company to reestablish its operation so it can meet the expectations of the community.
- Author
Olivia Cole
