Anti-gambling campaigners have condemned Taylor Swift for her decision to partner with Crown Resorts for her upcoming tour in Australia, with one of the most avid anti-gambling advocates – Tim Costello – arguing that the partnership agreement could trigger gambling among the popular singer’s fans in the country.
At the time when the popular pop signer announced the Australian leg of her international Eras tour earlier this week, the promoter Frontier Touring described the tour as being presented by Crown Resorts. So far, the Australian gambling giant did not unveil the financial conditions of the deal, but previous sponsorship arrangements with the Grand Prix and the Australian Open have seen various athletes and their teams staying at the luxury resort.
As revealed by Crown Resorts, the masthead that caused the controversy was agreed with its Crown Metropol hotel, and not its gaming venue. The popular casino and gaming operator further noted that since it was taken over by the US private investment banking group Blackstone a year ago, it is aimed at expanding its brand positioning in music and the arts.
Recently, the Australian gambling giant was hit by one of the largest financial penalties in the country’s corporate industry. The fine was associated with some failures to comply with Australia’s counter-terrorism and anti-money laundering laws, as well as with some improper tax deductions.
As previously reported by Casino Guardian, the casino and gambling group was found unsuitable to hold its operating permits in the states of Victoria, New South Wales (NSW) and Western Australia, although it was still allowed to keep its services there following some governance and management overhauls.
Pop-Star’s Collaboration with Crown Resorts Would Propagansie Gambling, Anti-Gambling Campaigners Say
Anti-gambling campaigner Tim Costello has criticised the partnership between Crown Resorts and Taylor Swift, saying that the collaboration raises some questions for the world-famous pop singer. According to Costello, Ms Swift has to be more careful when it comes to protecting her reputation so that she is not associated with a company that has been found to have breached money laundering, counter-terrorism financing and many other rules.
Charles Livingstone, an associate professor at Monash University, also criticised Crown Resorts for being overexcited to associate itself with one of the most successful female performers of all time and her massive fanbase. According to him, the collaboration would help propagandise the gambling and casino brand among even more people, normalising gambling, especially among young people and music lovers.
For the time being, Frontier Touring, the management and touring company of Taylor Swift, has not commented on the matter.
Mike Volkert, the chief executive of Crown Melbourne, shared that the organisation has always been linked to entertainment, and praised the company’s participation in the 33-year-old pop star’s tour.
According to Bloomberg reports, Ms Swift is making over $10 million per show. Recently, she had two performances in Las Vegas as her tour officially started, and her shows were celebrated as a way to help the city revitalise after the Covid-19 pandemic and the negative consequences associated with it.
- Author
Olivia Cole
