Casinos in the state of New South Wales (NSW) could face fines worth AU$100 million with leading executives and board members held liable in case the gambling businesses are found to have seriously breached rules and regulations.
The NSW Government is set to hand the enforcement powers to the newly-established casino regulatory body if the State Parliament gives the green light to the proposed piece of legislation after it is officially introduced next week.
The bill has appeared after a number of independent inquiries revealing damning evidence that Sydney’s two casino venues operated by Crown Resorts and the Star Entertainment facilitated money laundering and criminal infiltration thanks to their collaboration with so-called junket operators, known for their links to overseas criminal organisations.
The establishment of the new casino regulator called NSW Independent Casino Commission came as part of the response of the State Government to the criminal inquiry into the operations of the Australian gambling giant Crown Resorts that was headed by Patricia Bergin, a former Supreme Court judge. The casino company faced stricter new licence conditions under which it was allowed to finally open its Barangaroo casino in Sydney after initially being found unsuitable to keep its operating permit for the resort.
As Casino Guardian previously reported, the Star Entertainment also faced an inquiry into its operations. In June, the investigation was brought to an end, with a final report on the findings expected later in August.
New Casino Regulatory Body in NSW to Be Granted Independence and Enforcement Powers
Kevin Anderson, the Minister for Hospitality and Racing in the state, explained that the NSW Independent Casino Commission would also receive the powers to initiate investigations and enforce compliance with gambling regulatory rules. Mr Anderson shared that the new watchdog will be fully independent.
As confirmed by the minister, the state’s casino watchdog will be funded directly by the Casino Supervisory Levy paid by both Crown Resorts’ and the Star Entertainment’s casinos, with an independent decision-making process guaranteed on its licensing and disciplinary procedures. The state’s Minister for Hospitality and Racing shared that the NSW Independent Casino Commission would have the full scope of enforcement powers to appropriately deal with serious misconduct of the type unveiled by various recent investigations in the two gambling operators.
Apart from that, there have been some other changes in the state, including the engagement for regular reviews of casino operating permits, the elimination of cash transactions worth over AU$1,000 per day, as well as the mandatory use of cards to gamble in local casinos. The newly-established casino regulatory body will be given the necessary powers to control the sector in a way that would keep it crime-free, safe, and transparent in a way that protects local customers from potential harm.
The regulatory efforts and activities of the new casino watchdog of the state would be assisted by the New South Wales Police and the New South Wales Crime Commission.
- Author
Daniel Williams
