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Crown Resorts Accused of ‘Sketchy Dealings’ by 60 Minutes
By Shane Addinall Aug 09, 2019 IndustryAustralian casino, Crown Resorts, has been under intense scrutiny following a 60 Minutes television segment featuring the operator. Local papers have also been involved, causing the casino’s share price to drop.Crown Resort, a popular casino operator in Australia, has under come much scrutiny after a recent segment done by 60 Minutes.
The television programme, in conjunction with two local newspapers, have launched a probe in the casino’s operations. After the show aired, Crown Resorts pushed back against the allegations calling them a “deceitful campaign”.
Ads in local newspapers were published by Crown where they refuted the claims made by 60 Minutes in an attempt to clear their name.
Claims Made by 60 Minutes
During the 60 Minutes segment, it was claimed that many “sketchy dealings” were underway at the casino resort including:
✓ The breaking of Chinese law by advertising online gambling services to VIPs.
✓ Relationships with junket operators that had ties to Hong Kong triads.
✓ A deal with Australian officials to short-track visa applications for Chinese VIPs.
✓ Money laundering and associated issues.
Crown’s Sets the Record Straight
In order to refute these allegations, Crown Resorts posted an ad in local papers. It also spoke out explicitly against former employees that were supposedly involved with forming these allegations.
Crown was quick to point out that an ex-staff member that may have been involved with this sting operation previously asked for a pay out of more than 50 times her salary.
The casino operator called the reporting by 60 Minutes “unbalanced and sensationalised”.
Regarding the relationships with junkets, it also accused the reporting of scaremongering. It’s well known that junkets are an established way of operating within online casinos as they provide a bank-like service for VIP clients.
Crown Resorts outright denied fast-tracking visa arrangements, saying that they hadn’t “sought to circumvent visa requirements or compromise any process of identification or verification”.
Lastly, the casino operator was keen to prove their adherence to anti-money laundering (or AML) protocols. While it was ready to do so, legislation constrained it from doing so to the public.
What Does the Future Hold for Crown Resorts?
It’s hard to say what the outcome of this expose will before Crown Resorts, but as the share price has already started to fall dramatically, it may be hard for them to recover.
As other local newspapers join the witch hunt and attempt to uncover more potentially damning information, Crown Resorts will have to work hard to regain their previous stature in the industry.
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