Royal Commission recommendations for Crown would not be easy to implement, analysts say

According to experts, the appointment of a Special Manager won’t help the casino operator to make things right after years of misconduct.

Australia.- Last October, Victoria’s Royal Commission officially declared Crown Resorts unsuitable to hold a licence for its Crown Melbourne casino. However, the operator was allowed to keep its licence under stricter conditions.

Now, a group of experts analysed the situation and stated the appointment of a special manager to supervise the operation of Crown Melbourne is not enough to correct years of misconduct.

They also added the proposed changes are not easy to implement.

Judge Raymond Finkelstein, who led the state of Victoria’s inquiry, appointed Stephen O’Bryan QC, as Victoria’s first Independent Broad-based Anti-Corruption Commissioner, as Crown’s Special Manager.

According to Casino Guardian, analysts also pointed out that before Finkelstein’s proposal takes effect, a 2012 deal that stated the Victorian government must pay up to AU$200 if the casino operator’s licence is revoked or special conditions are imposed, must be terminated.

The Special Manager will have unprecedented powers to oversee Crown Resorts, veto decisions of the Board, and will have access to all areas of the casino and its books and records.

Finkelstein said he had taken the decision because he understood that if Crown Melbourne’s licence was cancelled, it would hurt the Victorian economy.

A total of 33 recommendations were made by the Royal Commission, which recognised that Crown Resorts has started a significant reform programme. 

The report also suggested increasing the maximum possible penalty under the Casino Control Act 1991 from AU$1m to AU$100m to “make sure there are meaningful consequences for breaches of the law”.