Another Crown Resorts director resigns

John Poynton has stepped down from Crown Resorts’ board and as chairman of the company’s Burswood casino in Perth.

Australia.- A sixth member has resigned from Crown Resorts’ board following the publication of the New South Wales report into the casino operator.

John Poynton has resigned as a director and chairman of the company’s Burswood casino in Perth.

His resignation comes after five other directors stepped down including former CEO and managing director Ken Barton.

Poynton was not criticised in the report that followed the inquiry held by the New South Wales regulator, the ILGA, but there were fears he was perceived to lack independence due to his past relationship with majority shareholder James Packer.

Helen Coonan, Crown’s executive chairman, said: “John has agreed to resign in the best interests of Crown and our shareholders, despite no adverse findings by the Commissioner in the ILGA Inquiry in relation to his suitability, integrity or performance.”

The state of Victoria announced it will also establish an independent inquiry into Crown to test its suitability to hold the state’s only casino licence for its Melbourne property.

Western Australia, where Poynton was chairman of Crown Perth, will also hold an inquiry, but the state’s premier Mark McGowan had said he hoped Crown would be able to continue to operate.

He said: “We’ll have an inquiry, we’ll work out if there needs to be changes to legislation, changes to ownership structures, whatever it might be, over the course of that inquiry.”