ILGA: Crown Resorts unsuitable to operate Barangaroo casino

Former Supreme Court judge Patricia Bergin’s final report finds Crown unsuitable to hold its licence for its second Sydney casino.

Australia.- The final report from the New South Wales Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority’s (ILGA) inquiry into Crown Resorts has found the operator to be “quite unsuitable” to hold a licence for its new casino in Barangaroo.

Written by former Supreme Court judge Patricia Bergin, the report states that if Crown wants to be deemed suitable to hold the licence for a second Sydney casino, it should “achieve a fresh start and emerge a very much stronger and better organisation.”

It says: “Crown should provide the Authority with a detailed written remediation action plan and undertakings in respect of matters including governance, independent review, accountability and any other relevant matters that the Authority may require of it.

Recommendations in the report include a 10 per cent individual ownership limit for casinos, which would force billionaire shareholder James Packer to reduce his 36 per cent stake in Crown.

It also recommends the establishment of an Independent Casino Commission (ICC) as a new regulatory body.

The ILGA will hold a special meeting on February 12 to discuss whether to implement any of the report’s recommendations.