SYDNEY – Crown Resorts Ltd, an Australian casino operator has been found unfit to receive a licence for gambling in Western Australia. This was revealed by the state’s racing & gaming minister on Thursday.

Tony Buti, Western Australia’s gaming minister, stated that the royal commission concluded that Crown entities were not suitable for continuing to hold a license to gamble at the Perth Casino.

Buti said that Crown should continue to operate for at least two years under the watchful eye of a monitor appointed by the government, as opposed to having its licence suspended.

This is consistent with the findings that Crown was not fit for the licence.

Victoria, where Crown is the largest-earning state resort, suggested that Crown continue to supervise the company despite it being unsuitable for licensing.

Crown was also affected by a similar incident in New South Wales. This is Australia’s largest state. Crown had its license suspended right before opening a resort worth A$2.2 million ($1.65billion) on Sydney’s waterfront in December 2020. The license is still suspended.

In 2019, a string of media reports claimed that the company was involved in knowingly selling foreign tour companies to organised crime groups and in laundering money.

Crown published newspaper ads on full page to initially deny these allegations, but later acknowledged that they were true in hearings.

Crown, in a Thursday statement acknowledged that the Western Australian inquiry had made recommendations. It said it would work constructively with Western Australia’s government “to satisfy” them.

($1 = 1.3348 Australian dollars)