The state government of Western Australia has unveiled the appointment of an independent monitor that is set to oversee the Crown Perth casino. As announced by the authorities, the WA Police Force Assistant Commissioner Paul Steel was named as the one who would eventually determine whether the Australian gambling giant failed or succeeded on the road to redemption.
The WA Government followed suit with the appointment of an independent monitor after the Government of Victoria decided to do so as part of its supervision of Crown Melbourne. The measure came as a response to a report issued by the Royal Commission earlier in 2022 which found that Crown Resorts was unsuitable to keep its operating permit for Crown’s casino in Perth.
The report of the Royal Commission recommended a two-year period of remediation for the Australian gambling and casino giant to establish whether the operator is suitable or not to operate the aforementioned casino complex.
The piece of legislation seeking to establish the position of the Independent Monitor and to allow for the supervision of the company’s operations has been recently approved by the Parliament of Western Australia.
As previously revealed by the Royal Commission, Crown Resorts was found unfit to run its Perth casino. The Australian gambling giant, however, was given two years to make things right and clean up the transgressions. The Royal Commission found that Crown Resorts and its subsidiaries made it possible for money laundering to take place at the casino, permitted junket operators with links to criminal organisations to operate at the Burswood complex, and also failed to implement adequate systems to detect any suspected money transactions at the casino venue.
The Appointment of Independent Monitor Follows Damning Royal Commission Findings
As revealed by the Government of Western Australia, Paul Steel’s decades of experience in investigating organised crime, delivery of cross-government strategic outcomes, organisational transformation and senior leadership would contribute immensely to his new role. The competent authorities revealed that Mr Steel had a proven record of delivering excellent outcomes across a career of almost 30 years in criminal investigation and law enforcement.
Tony Buti, the Racing and Gaming Minister of the state, explained that the appointment of an independent monitor came as the latest step in the local Government’s response to the Royal Commission’s findings. According to him, these measures mark the beginning of a new era of accountability, integrity and transparency at Crown Perth.
As Government officials revealed, the purpose of the recent legislation and the appointment of an independent monitor is to restore the integrity of Crown Perth and make sure that it was operating in line with the Government’s requirements, the state’s gambling legislation, and the community’s expectations. They further noted that local taxpayers would not be forced to pay for the independent monitoring of the Australian gambling giant’s Perth casino because the aforementioned appointment would be paid for by the casino operator.
- Author
Olivia Cole
