Western Australia’s recently-appointed Royal Commission into the operations of Crown Resorts’ casino in Perth has heard that members of the local gambling regulator are not experienced enough in casino regulation.
The probe into Crown Perth has already started and is currently aimed at examining whether the gambling legislation framework of the state is fit for its purpose. The probe is also checking whether the Australian gambling giant is fit to keep its casino licence for the Crown Perth casino. The inquiry in Western Australia has started after a probe into Crown Resorts found the gambling operator unfit to continue holding its operating licence for the new Barangaroo casino in Sydney because of links with criminal activity through the use of junket operators and money laundering.
Yesterday, during the first inquiry, the first witness of the Royal Commission revealed that he had not been formally trained in casino regulation before he occupied the role on very short notice. As Duncan Ord explained, the governance of casinos is getting more and more complex and members could only take advantage of the expertise of the department’s staff at the time when they were appointed to their roles.
The ongoing probe into Crown Resorts’ operations in Western Australia is being led by Lindy Jenkins and Neville Owen, former Supreme Court justices, and Colin Murphy, an ex WA auditor-general. The Royal Commission’s interim report is expected to be tabled by the end of June, while its final report with the investigation’s findings and recommendations is scheduled to be delivered by November 14th, 2021.
Chair of the Gaming and Wagering Commission to Stand Aside Following Reports of Links with Crown’s Staff Members
Apart from the lack of expertise of the gambling regulator’s members, it seems that the media reports of the personal links between Western Australia’s chief casino officer and Crown Resorts’ workers caused some distress to the CCO, who later announced his decision to step down from his position.
As mentioned above, the effectiveness of the Gaming and Wagering Commission in Western Australia, as well as its dealings with the Perth venue of Crown Resorts are set to be the centrepiece of the state’s Royal Commission hearings that started on May 10th with the first witness, Duncan Ord.
Mr Ord occupies the position of director general of the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries. He also chairs the Gaming and Wagering Commission that bears the responsibility for the control and regulation of the state’s gambling sector. As he informed the inquiry, after some media reports in February, he and former CEE Michael Connolly made a decision that Mr Ord should stand aside to make sure that the Gaming and Wagering Commission of Western Australia keeps its integrity.
In February, a couple of local media hubs reported that Mr Connolly had kept his social contract with Crown Resorts’ legal and compliance staff members. The chief casino officer is given a variety of major responsibilities, including approving key casino staff members, granting and refusing operating licences. As explained by Mr Ord, the local gambling regulator was notified about Mr Connolly’s friendships years earlier. However, the finding could jeopardise the entire inquiry, so standing aside to ensure the body’s integrity was the best thing to do.
- Author
Daniel Williams
