Crown Melbourne Staff Expose Serious Flaws in Responsible Gaming Practices
Staff members at Crown Melbourne have reported serious flaws in the establishment’s policies on responsible gaming.
An executive overseeing VIP client relations, formerly employed at Crown Melbourne, informed the royal inquiry that the casino actively discouraged its highest-stakes players from taking time away from the premises. This manager, whose identity remains confidential, oversaw 170 patrons within the Mahogany Room, a restricted section of the Southbank casino. He stated that he deterred significant gamblers from taking breaks by cautioning them about potential loss of their VIP standing, emphasizing that reclaiming a black or platinum card could take over a year if they opted for self-exclusion. In a confidential hearing for the investigation into Crown Melbourne’s license, the manager revealed that approximately 10 of his clientele had self-excluded since his employment began in 2014. This information was initially disclosed on Saturday.
Moreover, the client relations manager elaborated that his duties at Crown included arranging complimentary dinners for high rollers at the casino’s dining establishments, along with comped accommodations at Crown hotels and tickets to athletic competitions.
A poker dealer previously employed at Crown Melbourne also provided testimony, stating to the inquiry that he lacked understanding of the term “responsible service of gambling.” This dealer, who had worked at Crown since 2007, admitted to never having directed a patron to the responsible gambling facility at the Southbank casino, nor having visited the center himself. He added that he had never interacted with any of the venue’s 12 responsible gambling counselors, whose role is to observe casino visitors.
A different worker at the Melbourne Crown Casino confessed to never informing a client about the center for responsible gaming and wouldn’t even recognize the name of a single responsible gaming advisor employed there. This staff member, employed at Crown since 2013, also stated they were unfamiliar with the casino’s “play duration” rule, implemented the previous year, which shortened the period a guest can gamble without a pause from a full day to 18 hours.