Crown Resorts fails to follow own code to stamp out problem gambling

Victoria’s royal commission has heard Crown is failing to follow one of the key conditions of holding a licence for its Melbourne casino.

Counsel assisting the Victorian royal commission Adrian Finanzio SC has branded the number of responsible gaming staff at Crown Resorts as “grossly inadequate”.

Crown Resorts has failed to adhere to its code of conduct aimed at squashing problem gambling, raising fresh doubts about its suitability to hold a licence at its flagship Melbourne casino, a royal commission has heard.

Victoria’s royal commission into the James Packer-backed group also heard that it relied on food and beverage staff to monitor problem gamblers, with counsel assisting the commission branding the number of responsible gaming advisers (RGAs) deployed on Crown’s gaming floors as “grossly inadequate”.

Furthermore, staff questioned by the commission said they did not remember the “observable signs” for problem gambling.

This raises questions about Crown’s suitability to hold Victoria’s sole casino licence, given its must adopt a responsible gambling code of conduct to continue operating its sprawling Melbourne casino, the inquiry heard.

And it was at this casino that NSW’s Bergin inquiry found Crown had facilitated money laundering.

The Victorian royal commission has used NSW inquiry’s explosive revelations to home in on whether Crown is adhering to its legislative commitment to stamp out problem gambling, drawing another line of inquiry on the group’s suitability to hold a casino licence.

“Business relationships with organised crime figures revealed by the Bergin inquiry begs the question that can it be assumed that Crown would be any better in the delivery of responsible service of gaming,” counsel assisting the commission Adrian Finanzio SC said.

“The evidence suggests Crown is not implementing the (responsible gambling) code. The problems are twofold. First, there are obvious and systemic inadequacies in the policies, systems and resources deployed to discharge the obligations.

“And second, underlying systemic inadequacies, produce continual examples of inaction, where code demands action.”

Mr Finanzio said Crown had sent a letter to the commission’s solicitors at 7:30pm last Thursday — the eve of Melbourne’s lockdown and commission’s examination of its responsible gaming practices.

He said the letter stated Crown’s board, headed by chair Helen Coonan, endorsed a plan to increase staff across its responsible gaming function, introduce playing time limits “among other things”.

“The changes now proposed amount to an applied admission that some of Crown’s practices, some quite recent practices, are inconsistent with the responsible service of gaming.

“In other words, the letter promises to stop things that on one view should never have been happening in the first place.”

Mr Finanzio said solicitors assisting the commission “immediately requested documents containing the proposed plans” but Crown had yet to produce them.

“Given the matters had been discussed and resolved at a board meeting on only the May 24 it would be a relatively straightforward letter to receive the board papers that dealt with it.”

Crown increased the number of its responsible gaming staff from seven to 12 just before its sixth licence review in 2018. Mr Finanzio asked Crown’s group general manager of responsible gaming Sonja Bauer if she believed that number of staff was “grossly inadequate”, given the need to provide 24-7 coverage at the Melbourne casino — Victoria’s biggest gaming venue.

“I don’t agree with grossly inadequate but I agree with it could have been inadequate, yes,” Ms Bauer said.

Earlier on Tuesday, Ms Bauer said the 12 responsible gaming staff was augmented by customer service attendants, food and beverage, management and surveillance staff.

But Mr Finanzio said staff the commission questioned did not remember the “observable signs” of problem gambling, potentially leading to harm going unnoticed.

“It‘s not an effective training system, if food and beverage staff and dealing staff don’t remember what the concept of what observable signs means. It’s a further indicator of it not being a particularly good training system, if they couldn’t even name one.” Mr Finanzio asked Ms Bauer.

“No,” she replied.

The royal commission continues on Wednesday.