The Victorian Greens have said the real test for Crown begins now, following a decision by the state’s gambling and casino commission to allow the gaming giant to keep its licence.
The commission’s decision follows two years of intense scrutiny in which Crown reportedly “addressed systemic failings” after being linked to money laundering and international crime syndicates.
However, the Greens warn that Crown’s real test begins now, given it will no longer be under the same harsh scrutiny.
Victorian Greens gambling harm reduction spokesperson, Katherine Copsey, said for years Crown had been able to act with impunity as a result of a parasitic relationship between the operator and successive state governments.
She added that going forward Premier Allan needed to ensure that Crown would be held to the highest standard to ensure no more dodgy behaviour went unchecked.
The Greens have also urged the government to extend some of the changes implemented at Crown over the past two years statewide, to all pubs and clubs, to ensure any issues aren’t shifted on to the community.
This includes fines commensurate with the level of harm that Crown has inflicted, and mandatory pre-commitments.
As stated by Victorian Greens gambling harm reduction spokesperson, Katherine Copsey MLC:
“This was the biggest scandal in Victoria’s corporate history and yet its culprit is living to see another day.
“It’s good to hear that Crown has taken steps to fix the rot at its core, but the real test begins now.
“Will the Victorian Labor Government bring Crown to heel and ensure the dodgy behaviour it was found guilty of never happens again, or will it continue a culture of leniency?
“We also need some of the measures that have been implemented at Crown in the past two years to be expanded statewide, including fines and mandatory pre-commitment.”
