Crown Resorts’ Sydney casino floor to miss October opening goal

Restaurants and bars at Crown’s $2.2bn Barangaroo resort will be able to open up, but the casino gaming floor will have to wait a little longer.

Crown Sydney at Barangaroo. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Nikki Short

Crown Resorts’ Sydney casino is set to miss its tentative end-of-October opening date, but the restaurants and bars at the $2.2bn Barangaroo facility will be able to take advantage of easing restrictions in NSW after the gaming regulator extended Crown’s interim liquor licences.

On Monday the NSW Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority (ILGA) said it would extend three liquor licences for the Barangaroo Resort that were due to expire on October 31 to next June.

The licences were granted earlier this year, after NSW’s Bergin inquiry found Crown temporarily unsuitable to operate this casino, to allow the non-gaming areas of Crown Sydney to trade while Crown attempted to reform itself and become a suitable operator.

ILGA chair Philip Crawford said at the time he was “hopeful and confident” Crown would achieve probity by the end of October, but on Monday he said the review process was still under way.

“ILGA’s position on Crown Sydney’s gaming operations has not changed, with the authority still monitoring and assessing Crown’s responses to the issues arising from the Bergin Report,” he said.

“These issues are complex, and Crown is required to undertake significant change to satisfy the authority that it is on a pathway to become suitable to hold a gaming licence.

“It will take further time for Crown to fully implement that change and for the authority to give it proper consideration before making its determination.”

On Monday NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet batted back suggestions he wanted Crown’s Sydney gaming floor to be included in part of a broader reopening push following months of Covid lockdowns, saying the proper processes had to be followed.

“I haven’t turned my mind to that issue, and it’s not really a focus of mine at the moment,” he said.

“There have been challenges in relation to Crown in the past so I’m more focused on making sure it’s opening in that space is done in the appropriate way.”

A Crown spokeswoman said on Monday the company had recommenced hospitality services at Crown Sydney in line with the NSW government’s reopening of the state.

“Today we commence welcoming back hospitality workers and our guests to enjoy Crown Sydney’s world-class hotel, restaurants, bars and recreation facilities, in line with the NSW government’s road map for reopening and easing Covid-19 restrictions,” she said.

“Crown continues to work through the consultation process with ILGA towards the opening of gaming at Crown Sydney.”

The Australian has previously reported that the burden of responding to royal commissions in Victoria and WA impacted the group’s ability to liaise with the independent monitor appointed by ILGA to track its process.

Crown Resorts shares closed at $8.91, down 3.36 per cent.