Green light comes after a string of controversies over money laundering, and 18 months after Barangaroo opened its bars and restaurants
has been given the green light to finally open the casino in its luxury skyscraper overlooking Sydney Harbour.
“Crown has rebuilt its gaming model from the ground up, which has meant deep structural change around governance, anti-money laundering measures and corporate culture,” regulator chair Philip Crawford said on Wednesday. The timeframe will allow the authority to monitor changes made at Crown Sydney and ensure they are “embedded” in the business.It’s a step forward for the once-listed Crown, which is being taken private by US investment firm Blackstone after a successful $8.9 billion takeover was ticked off earlier this month.
The opening was at first delayed and then blocked after an inquiry led by former Supreme Court judge Patricia Bergin found Crown was not fit to operate a casino.Crawford noted the Bergin inquiry highlighted the scale and scope of issues to be remediated by Crown, with potentially billions of dollars having been laundered through its casinos.