Crown Melbourne To Increase Oversight After VCGLR Findings
Crown Resorts could have lost its gaming license for its Melbourne Casino after the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation (VCGLR) launched a review of the casino operator’s suitability of holding the state’s only casino license. Crown Resorts found itself in a bit of trouble as the report revealed that regulators were not confident that the operator had enough staff available to proactively intervene when it comes to helping problem gamblers.
Fortunately for Crown Resorts, the VCGLR report stated that their findings showed that the casino operator had done enough to keep their gaming license. However, the report made it clear that the casino operator needed to improve its practices to ensure that it kept its commitment as a leader of responsible gambling practices.
The report pointed out that the casino’s practice of only intervening after a player has been playing 16 to 24 hours non-stop was too lenient and was not very helpful in dealing with problem gambling. It also pointed out that there was a need to improve the casino’s anti-money-laundering approach so as to prevent criminals from accessing the casino.
Crown Resorts have responded to these charges by proposing to have its directors be increasingly responsible for oversight over its flagship Melbourne casino. This would be done by implementing a program of reforms that would ensure that the casino would be a lot more proactive in its approach in dealing with players.
Recommendations Being Implemented
The VCGLR confirmed that Crown Resorts is already taking steps to improve board procedures based on the report and its findings. Some of the new processes being implemented based on the recommendations of the report include a setting up a charter for its directors, a more thorough vetting process for its committee chairs, and better monitoring to ensure the company is being governed properly.
Another recommendation that the Crown has accepted is that it would be more transparent with the VCGLR when it comes to reporting and decision-making processing in the company. This would give the regulator more information on how the operator is overseeing its casino operations.
The VCGLR is quite happy at how responsive Crown Resorts has been with regards to its recommendations. The regulator made 20 recommendations and the company accepted all of them. John Alexander who is the executive chairman confirmed that two recommendations were already and the company was making progress with the remaining 18.
One of the more important recommendations was the expansion of facial-recognition security cameras all over the Australian casino so that patrons who have been excluded would be easier to detect and catch. Crown has increased the number of cameras to 50 and is confident that this point will be completed before its July 1 deadline.
David WalkerAuthor
David is our resident 'down under' contributor, letting us know what is going on in the southern hemisphere, he is also keen blackjack player
