Government inspectors at Australia’s Crown Melbourne may have to abandon their round-the-clock presence as a result of budget cuts.
Bruce Thompson, chairman of the Victoria Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation told a parliamentary hearing that he could not give an assurance that 24-hour inspectors at Crown would continue.
He said there had been discussion about resource allocation across the commission “because interestingly enough we are having to do a lot more with a lot less in terms of budgetary input”.
Commission sources told The Age that removing the 24-hour presence was discussed with staff, with one option being one permanent daily shift running from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. with a complaints box being set up in the casino where patrons can raise issues.
A spokesman for Gaming Minister Edward O’Donohue said the commission had assured the minister that there would be no reduction in oversight at the casino.
Crown declined to comment, The Age said.
