Crown Sydney attracts more punters after cooling off canned
The casino has seen a hike in patronage following the end of the 24-hour cooling off period required before locals could try their luck.
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The members-only Crown Sydney has seen a hike in patronage following the end of a 24-hour cooling-off period required before locals could try their luck at the casino.
The decision by the powerful NSW casino regulator in July to end the cooling-off period for NSW residents wanting to become members at Crown Sydney reflects the changing regulatory and market environment for the multibillion-dollar gambling sector.
Under the prior rule – which dates back a decade to when Crown first obtained a casino licence for Sydney – NSW residents joining Crown needed to wait a day before entering the gaming floor, unless they were a VIP member at another casino.
The rule was not imposed on those from interstate or overseas and there is no similar restriction at Star Sydney. A Crown Sydney spokesman said the new process offered a “seamless registration process for new members” in NSW.
A spokeswoman for the NSW Independent Casino Commission (NICC) confirmed the watchdog removed the restriction after an application from Crown Sydney.
“Previously NSW residents who couldn’t demonstrate VIP membership of another casino were required to apply for membership at Crown Sydney, and to wait 24 hours before membership was confirmed,” the NICC spokesman said. “This condition has now been removed from (Crown’s) licence.”
With high-roller junkets banned across the sector, the removal of the cooling-off period was viewed as a commonsense measure to reorient casinos to domestic patrons. Crown still remains open only to members, but the application process is quicker.
While the streamlined process allows quicker access to the gaming floor, sources say the casino’s regulatory frameworks and internal controls have been significantly strengthened and modernised since the Bergin inquiry revealed a range of problems at Crown, including poor controls to stop money laundering.
Crown has since been able to show regulators it is suitable to retain its casino licences in both Melbourne and Sydney.
Crown Sydney is now operating under much tighter controls, including direct and targeted gambling harm minimisation measures for all its customers.
It now takes less than five minutes to sign up for a free membership at Crown Sydney with anyone over the age of 18 eligible to apply.
A valid physical form of identification is required to complete registration and the process includes identification, security, and probity checks.
These checks monitor for guests who are self-excluded, excluded, or banned from any Crown property, or who Crown determines are not suitable for membership.
Crown stresses that, despite the streamlined process, harm minimisation and responsible gaming remain paramount, including informing guests of Crown’s harm minimisation initiatives via its PlaySafe program.
The program includes carded play, which makes it easier for guests to control their gaming by setting limits, adhering to play period limits, and taking regular breaks in play.
Melbourne-based Crown Resorts racked up losses of $164.8m in the year to June 30 compared to $199.4m in the previous period, as it was hit by one-off remediation costs, depressed international tourist numbers and the introduction of mandatory carded play.
Crown Resorts will spend hundreds of millions of dollars on new hospitality attractions across the country, including bars and restaurants, as it moves to become less “casino-centric” amid tighter regulation of gaming operations.
Crown Sydney is beefing up its local hospitality offering, with Sydney institutions Golden Century and Icebergs opening a restaurant and bar, respectively, at the complex over the upcoming summer.
The new venues will join a stable of restaurants including a’Mare, Woodcut, Nobu and Oncore by Clare Smyth.
Sydney is shaping up as a make-or-break market for both Star and Crown, and the battle may be more about attracting local tourists than high-rollers.
Analysts say the Australian casino sector has faced a period of “unprecedented crises” since the pandemic, with a spate of government inquiries throwing the spotlight on the industry.
Crown Melbourne still makes the lion’s share of the company’s revenue.
Five minute process:
1. Guest signs up through the Crown app or in person at Crown Sydney. Eighty per cent of the application can be done via the app. However, the final stages need to be completed in person at Crown Sydney.
2. Background checks are performed.
3. Onboarding is complete – discussion and information on Crown PlaySafe’s harm minimisation initiatives provided to guests including play period, limits and breaks.
4. Guest can enter the casino.
Originally published as Crown Sydney attracts more punters after cooling off canned
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