Australia
Bergin Report Finds Crown Unsuitable to Hold Casino License in NSW
Crown Resorts’ new $2.2 billion gambling mecca at Barangaroo may never open its doors after an independent inquiry found that the James Packer-backed group is unfit to hold a casino licence in NSW.
Former Supreme Court judge Patricia Bergin said in her 750-page final report released on Tuesday afternoon following an 18-month probe into the company that Crown needed a management overhaul if it ever wanted to hold a casino licence, and that the state’s gambling regulator should reconsider Mr Packer’s involvement.
Commissioner Bergin said an examination of a 2019 investigation by The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and 60 Minutes into Crown that sparked the inquiry confirmed Crown had “facilitated money laundering” through its bank accounts; “disregarded the welfare” of its staff in China before 19 were arrested there in 2016, and went into business with high-roller junket tour groups linked to Triad and other organised crime groups.
This made Crown unsuitable to hold a casino licence with its core problem being “poor corporate governance, deficient risk management structures and processes and a poor corporate culture.”
“One of the difficulties for Crown was its unjustified belief in itself and its unwillingness to entertain the prospect that there was any force in any of the [allegations raised in the media],” Commissioner Bergin wrote.
The findings will add pressure on governments in Victoria and WA to act on Crown’s casinos in Melbourne and Perth, where the behaviour that rendered it unsuitable occurred. The recommendations are not binding, and the NSW Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority will meet later this month to consider which, if any, it should implement.
Commissioner Bergin said it was obvious that Crown’s 36% shareholder James Packer exercised the “real power” at the company which had “disastrous consequences for the company.”
She said ILGA should consider his approval as a “close associate” of Crown in light of the explosive revelation that he sent a threatening email to a Melbourne businessman in 2015. Mr Packer said his behaviour was a result of his bipolar disorder.
Commissioner Bergin recommended NSW put an ownership cap in place so any investor will need the NSW regulator’s approval to buy or own more than 10% of a casino operator, opening up the possibility of it ordering Mr Packer to sell down his stake in the company.
Commissioner Bergin said Crown’s reformation to become suitable would also require a “full and wide-ranging forensic audit of all of their accounts to ensure that the criminal elements that infiltrated [two bank accounts linked to Crown] have not infiltrated any other accounts.”
The report calls on NSW to establish the Independent Casino Commission, a “dedicated, stand-alone, specialist casino regulator with the necessary framework to meet the extant and emerging risks for gaming and casinos.”
Powered by WPeMatico
Reading Time: < 1 minute
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has requested the Australian internet service providers (ISPs) to block more illegal online gambling sites, after investigations found these services to be operating in breach of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001.
The latest sites blocked include Crown Gold, Maxispin Casino, Rain.gg, Didibet, LuckyBet, Malina Casino and Spins of Glory.
Website blocking is one of a range of enforcement options to protect Australians against illegal online gambling. Since the ACMA made its first blocking request in November 2019, 1338 illegal gambling and affiliate websites have been blocked. Around 220 illegal services have also pulled out of the Australian market since the ACMA started enforcing new illegal online gambling rules in 2017.
The post ACMA Blocks More Illegal Online Gambling Sites appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Reading Time: < 1 minute
Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) has had a robust presence in Melbourne since it opened the lab in 2007. The company and its presence in Melbourne is stronger and bigger now that GLI has moved to a new lab location in the city.
The move was necessitated by GLI’s continually growing operations, and the upgrade to a larger facility in South Melbourne physically positions GLI even closer to many of its customers. GLI also operates labs in Adelaide and Syndey.
GLI’s Melbourne lab offers a full suite of services including:
• iGaming and Land-based Testing
• Casino Management Systems (CMS) Testing
• Interoperability Testing
• Quality Assurance
• Compliance
“We are excited about this next chapter as it strengthens our ability to meet our clients’ continually evolving needs. With these expert teams working together under one roof, we are better positioned to than ever to deliver comprehensive solutions for today’s gaming industry,” said Richard Howarth, Chief Business Officer – APAC.
The post GLI Grows Stronger and Bigger in Melbourne with New Lab Location appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Reading Time: < 1 minute
Regulating the Game (RTG) has announced Evive Australia as the first innovation to take the stage at Pitch! – part of the annual RTG gathering in Sydney in March.
The event will take place at the famous Sydney Opera House on 9 March 2026, as part of the sixth edition of the international regulatory and industry conference.
Evive is an app designed to help people change how they play or seek support for gambling harms. Created by Sam DeMello, a tech specialist drawing on his lived experience of gambling harm, and supported by Jay Robinson, a safer-gambling expert with over two decades of harm-minimisation and prevention experience, Evive Australia aims to deliver personalised tools, resources and pathways for anyone seeking to reduce risk or access help.
“Evive brings together real-world experience, clinical expertise and technology to create an accessible and credible platform for change. Pitch! was conceived to spotlight exactly these kinds of innovations – ideas that challenge convention, improve safeguards and reimagine the future of regulation and industry practice,” said Paul Newson, Principal at Vanguard Overwatch and founder of Regulating the Game.
“Evive isn’t just another app, it’s a bridge between lived experience, behavioral science and practical support. It shows that compliance and compassion can coexist, and when they do, everyone benefits. The app gives regulators and operators confidence in credible harm reduction tools, while giving people a safe, stigma free path to change,” Robinson said.
The post RTG Announces Evive Australia as the First Innovation to Take the Stage at Pitch! appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
-
Baltics7 days agoSEOBROTHERS ambassador Jevgenijs Aleksejevs crowned IBF Europe Middleweight boxing champion
-
Baltics7 days ago
Bombay announces strategic C-Suite appointments with a view towards regulated online growth
-
Angela Martin Head of Marketing UK & Ireland at GGPoker7 days ago
JOHNNY VEGAS LEADS GGPOKER’S BOLD NEW ‘FACE-OFF’ PROJECT TO BRING THE DRAMA, TENSION AND THRILLS BACK TO BRITISH POKER
-
Latest News7 days agoWhale.io Launches Battlepass Season 3, Featuring $77,000 in Crypto Casino Rewards
-
Central Europe6 days ago
TaDa to Round Off Exceptional Year at SiGMA Central Europe 2025
-
Africa6 days ago
BongoBongo Partnership Boosts GR8 Tech’s Expansion in Africa
-
Andrzej Hyla Chief Commercial Officer at Wazdan5 days ago
Wazdan ready to exhibit as gain-focused partner and exhibitor at SiGMA Central Europe
-
Latest News7 days ago
BC.GAME News Secures Front-of-Jersey Deal with Deccan Gladiators for Abu Dhabi T10 2025
