Tasmanian MP Andrew Wilkie is calling for a royal commission inquiry into Crown Resorts after a second whistleblower claimed the company’s Melbourne property is helping its high rollers bypass customs. The claims were made by a limousine driver, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
Crown has denied the allegations, but the whistleblower, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Wilkie that casino employees are expected to take part in or turn a blind eye to the activities under a system known among staffers as “Crown law.”
The driver said Crown staff also provide drugs and sex workers for the overseas high rollers who enter the country on private jets, bypassing official customs checks.
Crown is already under investigation following claims by a former employee of links to organized crime, money laundering and customs offenses. An investigation is underway by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Agency and the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation.
According to the Herald, Wilkie and Victorian state MP Fiona Patten pushed for the latest inquiry, saying the driver is a credible witness and his allegations call for further official action. Neither the Herald nor The Age were able to confirm the allegations; their investigative reporting, along with that of Australia’s 60 Minutes, caused casinos in the country to fall under scrutiny for links to Chinese organized crime. Crown is being separately investigated by the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation.
Wilkie said the pressure to bring a full investigation “is just going to keep building.”
“I would have thought it is in the Victorian and federal governments’ best interest to really bust this open and clear the air before they become part of the problem,” he said.
Patten also wants an inquiry that would examine the performance of Victoria’s gambling authority. “The parliament has given huge concessions to the operators of Crown through the Casino Control Act and in return we demand they play by the rules—or risk not having a license to operate in Victoria at all,” she said. “It’s that simple. I’ve been telling the government that the gaming regulator, the VCGLR, is not doing their job properly.”
Meanwhile, Victorian Gambling Commission Chairman Ross Kennedy griped that the MPs did not first bring their concerns to the commission.
“The VCGLR is committed to ensuring that Victorians and visitors enjoy safe and responsible gambling and liquor environments and emphatically rejects the unfounded attacks on its competency and any suggestion it is ‘not doing its job properly,’” Kennedy said.
Victorian Gaming Minister Marlene Kairouz chimed in, saying, “I am satisfied that the VCGLR is taking appropriate action to examine the matters raised in the media. The matters are complex and, therefore, require additional time to thoroughly review. The VCGLR will continue to provide me with updates as their work progresses.”
A Crown spokesperson said on October 13, “Crown rejects these all these claims. If anyone has any allegation or evidence of unlawful conduct then they should contact the relevant authorities.”
