The board of beleaguered casino giant Crown Resorts has survived a spill motion after frustrated shareholders delivered a second strike against the company’s pay report over multimillion-dollar payouts to departed executives.

But interim chairman Jane Halton insisted the hefty golden handshakes, including $6.8 million to former chief executive officer Ken Barton, were “in the best interest of the company” despite those former executives helming the casino giant while it was found unfit to open its Sydney casino and is facing the prospect of state governments tearing up its casino licences in Victoria and West Australia.