Casino Operator Crown Resorts Engaged in Illegal Behavior, Report Finds
To evade Chinese rules on overseas money transfers, Chinese high rollers arriving in the city of Melbourne in the mid-2010s had a playbook they could follow.
They could visit a hotel run by casino operator Crown Resorts Ltd., have Crown put a fake hotel charge on certain credit and debit cards, and then visit Crown’s Melbourne casino to collect their money, according to a report commissioned by the government in Australia’s Victoria state.
In another episode detailed in the report, lawyers retained by Crown put together a guide commenting on the appropriateness of various marketing activities in Asian countries, where rules around gambling promotion can be strict. The document enabled Crown to assess the chance its staff could be charged with a serious offense, and whether it was prepared to run the risk, the report said.