Crown Casino opens for VIPs only

Crown Casino opens for VIPs only
Image: Photo: Eventbrite

By TILEAH DOBSON

The $2.2 billion dollar Crown Barangaroo in Sydney has opened its doors to its VIP-only floors today. The rest of the casino is set to open up at a later date this year.

Current gaming operations will be held in the Crystal Room and Mahogany Room, along with the use of twelve exclusive private Sky Salons on levels twenty-eight and twenty-nine. The Crystal Room was opened today to begin operations, with the Mahogany Room set to open later in the year.

Crown Sydney CEO Simon McGarth has stated that a safe and responsible gambling environment is the company’s priority.

“Crown Sydney’s restricted gaming facility has been designed with the highest levels of governance and compliance,” he said.

“It is the only casino of its kind in Australia, with all patrons required to be a member or guest of a member and undergo comprehensive checks.”

The opening of the casino hasn’t been easy, with the Crown being granted a conditional gaming license after it was found unfit to hold one. Allegations of money laundering had surfaced during an inquiry report headed by former Supreme Court judge, Patrica Bergin.

Inquiries into the Crown’s Melbourne and Perth branches by Victoria and Western Australia came to the same conclusion. The report from Victoria’s Royal Commission into the Melbourne casino had discovered the casino’s operator, Crown Resorts, had been engaged in practices that had been “variously illegal, dishonest, unethical and exploitative.”

The conditional license forced the major shareholder James Packer to sell it to a US private equity firm, change its board and procedures in order to satisfy regulators, with the license set to expire December 31st 2023. The Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority has warned that the casino will be watched closely.

The Star Casino has also seen it’s fair share corruptions as a public inquiry heard allegations of money laundering, criminal infiltration and fraud.

A Day Of Shame

The casino’s opening hasn’t been met with all smiles, as some like Alex Greenwich MP, the Independent for Sydney has marked this as a ‘Day of Shame’ for NSW.

“At this appalling casino lives will be destroyed, homes will be lost, and families will be broken apart. That is what happens at every casino around the world,” Greenwich said.

Greenwich laid the blame on the major parties for giving the greenlight to the casino back in 2013.

“In 2013, the Coalition Government and Labor Opposition betrayed the people of NSW by handing over public land to a billionaire for a casino tower that has attracted suitably mocking labels,” he said.

 “Now that billionaire doesn’t have anything to do with the casino due to Crown casino’s dodgy dealings, but we are stuck with a massive blight on our harbour and city.”

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