Gamblers of Australian gambling sites across the country were shocked to hear the news that Crown Sydney was deemed unfit to hold a casino licence. This popular Western Australian casino had to make big changes to get its license back. In August 2022, Crown Casino was allowed to re-open with a conditional licence. By October, it was fully operational to members only.
Are you wondering what the new rules are for Crown Sydney? Today, we’re going to explain everything you should know about this Sydney casino and how it was able to reestablish its gaming licence. We’ll also talk about why its licence was removed in the first place. Read on for more.
Is Crown Casino Open to the Public?
Crown Sydney is finally open again. Unfortunately, the rules surrounding the conditional licence prohibit this casino from letting just anyone in. Only VIP members and their guests are allowed on the gaming floor. All guests must go through comprehensive checks before they’re allowed entry. This new responsible gaming environment is strict with who is allowed access to Crown Resorts Sydney.
These rules aren’t to discriminate against anyone like it was with poker gamblers during a pandemic. The Gaming Authority is so strict with this Sydney casino to create a safe and responsible gaming environment. This way, they can monitor guests and transactions to prevent criminal activity on the gaming floor.
Why Did Crown Sydney Lose Its Gaming Licence?
This popular casino operator lost its gaming licence because it allowed money laundering to occur in the venue. Gambling is the #1 form of money laundering in Australia.
- Criminals would bring large sums of money into the casino to exchange for chips.
- Then they will use some of the chips on the gaming floor, but not all of them.
- They will then cashout, which turns their dirty money into clean money.
- Some would bring in thousands of dollars in dirty money and use the chips to make a $5 bet and then cashout.
In order to prevent money laundering, casinos are supposed to do comprehensive checks of all guests who make a large deposit into the casino. Since 2020, casinos were responsible for reporting the identity of any guest that makes a transaction larger than $10,000 to AUSTRAC. However, Crown Resorts Sydney failed to do this.
After Crown Sydney was accused of money laundering, there was an investigation that spanned over a few months. The gaming facility was found guilty of accepting dirty money. For this reason, Crown Sydney had its licence revoked.
How Crown Casino Was Able to Open Again
This new casino means big changes for Crown Sydney. In order to re-open, Crown had to look at its gaming model and rebuild it to comply with the gaming rules in Australia. For Crown to launch a new casino in Sydney, they had to completely rework this model and show proof of how they were making changes.
Crown Sydney’s policy to prevent money laundering had to be changed and approved by ILGA. Even with the new changes in effect, ILGA will be closely watching the activity at this gaming facility.
It’s not just Crown Sydney’s gambling location that’s going to be monitored more closely. Gambling authorities are taking a closer look at activity in gaming machines throughout the state. Crown isn’t the only casino establishment that’s guilty of turning a blind eye to money laundering. A lot of other casinos were also involved in dirty money scandals.
Why Australian Casinos Will Be Monitored Closely
It’s no secret that criminals use gambling to cover their tracks with dirty money. Many criminal groups arrange junkets. This is when they bring in groups of high rollers to the casino establishment. Casinos are known to allow this to take place despite the laws because the venue can make a huge turnover rate. Criminal activity offers casinos a chance to make millions of dollars in profits.
Crown Sydney is one of several casinos that publicly announced it would no longer be holding junkets. The casino has cut ties with all junket organisations. More casinos throughout the nation will be monitored closely for connections to junkets.
The Australian gambling regulations and casino culture are some of the most strict in the world. These allegations and investigations have caused even tougher regulations to be put in force. However, one area that will be difficult to regulate more closely is gaming machines. These machines allow gamblers to deposit up to $5,000.
Players are able to make a deposit into a gaming machine and only play some of it while cashing out the rest. This gives criminals the opportunity to put a few thousand dollars in the machine without having to record it. Then they can place one bet at the lowest wager and cash out the rest of their deposit. This exchanges their dirty money for clean.
How to Gamble at Crown Sydney
You might be wondering how to gamble at Crown Sydney if you don’t know anyone with a membership to go as a guest. Many people in the state want to see what this venue is like after re-opening. Now that it’s re-open, there are 160 game tables and 66 electronic tables. Guests can also choose from 30 private salons to enjoy.
Gamblers that are interested in becoming a member of this exclusive casino will need to sign up for the Crown Rewards Program. Once approved, membership is free. Anyone who was previously a Black or Platinum rewards member will automatically become a VIP member.
