ShareCrown Resorts has been fined a record AU$120 million for failing to adhere to responsible gambling legislation. The casino owners have been under fire for systematic failures related to protecting vulnerable gamblers and matters related to money laundering.
Responsible Gambling Failures
Earlier this month, a royal commission inquiry concluded that Crown Resorts was not guilty of isolated offences but rather part of a pattern of extensive, sustained and systemic failures by Crown that spanned roughly 12 years.”This latest fine of AU$120 million was divided into two parts—AU$100 for allowing gamblers to wager continually for more than 24 hours. And AU$20 million for failing to prevent gamblers wedging closed a button to allow continuous play without any manual input. It was even alleged that Crown Resorts even supplied plastic picks to allow this kind of behaviour.
This means that Crown Resorts has been fined AU$200 million during 2022.
The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) chair, Fran Thorn, said the casino prioritised profit over responsible gambling obligations.
“For a long time, Crown had promoted itself as having the world’s best approach to problem gambling. Nothing could be further from the truth.
“The stories of financial loss or suicide attempts or forced sex work and other hardships experienced by individuals, their families, and communities; the people who gambled for two to three days straight with no one stopping them; the people who stole to keep gambling and the people who lost their families because of their addiction.
“Little, if anything, was done to stop people from gambling for long periods of time. These are real stories of real harm.
“We cannot forget, and we cannot tolerate [that behaviour]. This fine of $100 million is to deter [repeat behaviour] and protect [the community].”
This might not be the end of the story, too. The VGCCC indicated that it is considering further disciplinary action related to other findings of the report.
Crown Resorts Apologises
After the VGCCC made its statement, Crown Resorts quickly followed up with an apology saying it was “genuinely remorseful for the failings of the past.”“While considerable work has been undertaken as part of the reform and remediation program, Crown is the first to acknowledge there is a lot more to be done.
“We are genuinely remorseful for the failings of the past, and we are committed to becoming a world leader in the delivery of safe and responsible gaming and entertainment.
“The recently appointed new leadership team at Crown is driving a whole-of-company transformation program, designed to uplift the culture and build a better Crown which exceeds the expectations of our stakeholders.”
