Crown Resorts Royal Commission aims to report by August 1

Ray Finkelstein, the former judge leading the Royal Commission in Victoria, has warned he won’t tolerate delays in the investigation into Crown Melbourne.

Australia.- The judge leading the state of Victoria’s probe into Crown Resorts has announced he intends to release his report by August 1. 

Royal commissioner Ray Finkelstein said he would look into money laundering and criminal links at Crown’s Melbourne casino and how the company dealt with problem gambling.

The former judge also revealed that he sent a letter to the members of Crown’s board asking if they accepted the findings of the previous inquiry in New South Wales led by former supreme court judge Patricia Bergin.

The state government of Victoria launched the Royal Commission last month to decide on Crown Resorts’ suitability to maintain its licence for its Melbourne casino.

Crown Resorts has argued that Crown is suitable to run its Melbourne casino following a “substantial reform program”.

However, Finkelstein said that the outcome of his inquiry “may well depend on the effectiveness of this program.“

Finkelstein sent a second letter to Crown asking “in plain terms” if it had breached any of its obligations under Victorian law or its contract with the state government to run the Melbourne casino. The casino operator has yet to respond.

NSW gaming regulator expects a resolution within “months, not years”

ILGA chairman Philip Crawford said Crown Resorts was making solid progress in its efforts to reach suitability in New South Wales.

Crawford said: ” If [Crown Resorts] can’t get to suitability within 2 years then we’ve got a real problem.”

He also praised the resignation of Guy Jalland, Michael Johnston, Andrew Demetriou as well as Ken Barton as board members.