The commission said it was also considering further sanctions against Crown in connection with the wrongdoing discovered during the royal commission, which, as with consultations in NSW and Western Australia, found that Crown was unfit to hold his license. of casino.
The group of casinos is still facing a huge fine that could reach hundreds of millions of dollars from the financial crime control agency, AUSTRAC, which claims that Crown received $ 1 billion in revenue. “High risk” VIP clients, including some with known criminal links. .
Crown’s regulatory pain comes as the acquisition by New York-based private equity firm Blackstone reaches its final stages. Shareholders, including major investor James Packer, voted to accept the $ 8.9 billion deal on May 20th. Blackstone still needs final approval from state gambling regulators before getting the keys to Crown casinos in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth.
The commission said Crown had admitted that the UnionPay process was illegal and unacceptable, which it considered the casino’s contrition in deciding the size of the fine.
However, the entity added that during the disciplinary proceedings it became aware that the casino was using “other mechanisms” that allowed credit card transactions after 2016, which it is now investigating. Crown believes the new transactions were legal.
A public inquiry into Crown’s main rival, Star Entertainment Group, learned earlier this year that it also used the UnionPay scam to process $ 900 million in transactions at its Sydney casino, in possible breach of the rules. NSW game.
The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the most important and interesting stories, analysis, and insights of the day. Register here.