1 August 2019
The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and 60 Minutes have been investigating, over several months, the inner workings of Crown Resorts, which has casinos in Melbourne and Perth.
The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and 60 Minutes have been investigating, over several months, the inner workings of Crown Resorts, which has casinos in Melbourne and Perth.
The investigators allege that Crown helped bring criminals into Australia with possible national security concerns. Crown broke Chinese law by promoting gambling and paying Chinese sales staff bonuses to lure big gamblers to Australia.
Jenny Jiang, a former employee of Crown Resorts, spent four weeks in a Chinese prison after she was arrested in October 14, 2016.
60 Minutes followed her and found that she was one of 19 Crown staff, including three Australians, who were held in custody and convicted of breaching Chinese laws that ban gambling and its promotion.
She also told 60 Minutes that Australian consulate offices in China were helping Crown get fast-tracked visas and that she was offered a $60,000 payment by Crown to keep quiet about its overseas activities.
She also told 60 Minutes that Australian consulate offices in China were helping Crown get fast-tracked visas and that she was offered a $60,000 payment by Crown to keep quiet about its overseas activities.
Sacked Border Force Commissioner, Roman Quaedvlieg, revealed on 60 Minutes that he was encouraged by several members of parliament, including two ministers, to help fast-track Crown’s Chinese high rollers through Australia’s borders.
James Packer (in picture) was not a Crown executive or director at the time. He sold half his stake in the company for $1.76 billion earlier this year. His lawyer told the Age that he had only a passive role in the affairs of Crown.
news.com.au reported.
In a response to an investigation aired on Channel Nine’s 60 Minutes program on Sunday and published in Nine newspapers The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, Crown Casino took full-page advertisements in major newspapers condemning the coverage.
news.com.au reported.
In a response to an investigation aired on Channel Nine’s 60 Minutes program on Sunday and published in Nine newspapers The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, Crown Casino took full-page advertisements in major newspapers condemning the coverage.
Attorney-General Christian Porter said that there were “sufficient concerns” to warrant further examination. In Federal Parliament, independent MP Andrew Wilkie this week pushed for a parliamentary inquiry into the allegations raised in the Nine investigation, a call supported by crossbench senator Jacqui Lambie and the Greens. But the House of Representatives rejected that push, with Labour and the Coalition voting against it.
Federal Government confirmed it previously had an agreement with Crown Casinos to fast-track short-stay visa applications for Chinese visitors.
Links to organised crime, money laundering and fast-tracked visas for big gamblers are issues that are the responsibility of gambling regulators. Yet, regulators appear to have missed it.
Victorian government had a tax revenue of $207.7 million in 2016-17, while Perth received $61.9 million. For cash-strapped state governments, this revenue is quite important. Even so, Crown’s contribution to Victoria’s revenue stream is modest. The 2018-19 state budget papers estimate a contribution of $237 million from the casino, compared to $1.119 billion from pokies in pubs and clubs, and $1.876 billion in total gambling taxes. Yet Crown gets special treatment. It operates monopoly casinos in both Victoria and WA, pays a low tax rate compared to its suburban rivals in Victoria (pub and club pokies pay about 37 per cent of gambling revenue to the state), and has far fewer constraints on its operations. In Victoria, for example, Crown has smoking areas inside the casino, has unlimited bets on many of its pokies, has ATMs on-site, can operate 24 hours a day, and appears to be able to get planning approval without any of the usual fuss.
ABC news reported.
Federal Government confirmed it previously had an agreement with Crown Casinos to fast-track short-stay visa applications for Chinese visitors.
Links to organised crime, money laundering and fast-tracked visas for big gamblers are issues that are the responsibility of gambling regulators. Yet, regulators appear to have missed it.
Victorian government had a tax revenue of $207.7 million in 2016-17, while Perth received $61.9 million. For cash-strapped state governments, this revenue is quite important. Even so, Crown’s contribution to Victoria’s revenue stream is modest. The 2018-19 state budget papers estimate a contribution of $237 million from the casino, compared to $1.119 billion from pokies in pubs and clubs, and $1.876 billion in total gambling taxes. Yet Crown gets special treatment. It operates monopoly casinos in both Victoria and WA, pays a low tax rate compared to its suburban rivals in Victoria (pub and club pokies pay about 37 per cent of gambling revenue to the state), and has far fewer constraints on its operations. In Victoria, for example, Crown has smoking areas inside the casino, has unlimited bets on many of its pokies, has ATMs on-site, can operate 24 hours a day, and appears to be able to get planning approval without any of the usual fuss.
ABC news reported.
