Crown Resorts can breathe a sigh of relief, announcing on Tuesday that the Western Australian Government has found Crown Perth suitable to maintain its casino license.
The property was the last to face questions of suitability, after being approved to maintain its casino licenses in both Sydney and Melbourne.
In May 2024, then-Crown Resorts CEO Ciarán Carruthers indicated that the company was expecting about a 12-month process before it received a verdict, but expressed confidence that the company’s efforts could prove its suitability to the regulator and the community.
The group’s Melbourne and Sydney properties were deemed suitable to retain their licenses in March and April of last year, respectively, after extensive investigations, remedial efforts, and management shifts.
The group indicates that as part of Crown Perth’s reforms and ‘business wide transformation’ it had invested some AU$200 million ($130.85 million) in reforms, ‘with key areas of focus including harm minimization; financial crime; governance, compliance and risk; and culture’.
The group provided some 8,300 documents to authorities during the monitorship period – overseen by Independent Monitor Paul Steel – since 2022.
Current Crown Resorts President David Tsai was also tasked with leading Crown Perth’s remediation action plan before his appointment with its parent company in August of last year.
Speaking of the new update, Crown Perth Board Chair John Van Der Wielen noted that “Today’s announcement is recognition that we are a changed business. The community, our team members, our suppliers, and our guests were relying on us to get this right – and we have”.
The property’s CEO, Brian Pereira, noted that “Holding a casino license means holding a social license – and we have a responsibility to operate with the highest level of integrity every day”.
David Tsai, meanwhile, said that “With all three Crown properties now deemed suitable and retaining their casino licenses, we are focused on remaining the safest place to game in Australia”.
This final step should successfully place the issues over AML/CTF, KYC, and due diligence measures firmly in the company’s path, paving the way for Australia’s largest gaming operator to continue to grow.
