Inside Asian Gaming

IAG MAY 2022年5月 亞博匯 31 封面故事 regulator should determine whether it is clearly satisfied that Crown Melbourne has become a suitable person to hold its casino license and that it is in the public interest for it to do so.” As part of its reform agenda, and following on from earlier recommendations contained within the NSW Bergin Report, Crown has already bid farewell to 10 of the 11 directors that sat on its Board as of late 2020, with only Jane Halton surviving. Former Lendlease boss Steve McCann was appointed Crown Resorts CEO and Managing Director last May, and former National Australian Bank AML specialist Steven Blackburn was named Crown’s new Chief Compliance and Financial Crimes Officer in late 2020. The company has also expanded its financial crime, risk, complianceandresponsible gaming teams at what it says is an annual cost of AU$30 million (US$22 million) more than it spent on those same divisions in 2019. Yet even this hasn’t been enough to earn approval from the current NSW regulator, the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority (ILGA), to finally open the casino at Crown Sydney, even though non-gaming has been up and running since December 2020. Several rumored opening dates have already come and gone in recent months, possibly delayed while ILGA awaits the outcome of the review into The Star Sydney, located directly across Sydney Harbour from its city rival. Crown, meanwhile, is in the midst of a takeover, with the company recently recommending to shareholders that they vote in favor of an AU$8.9 billion (US$6.4 billion) 以及針對The Star Sydney的公開聽證 會正在進行中，目前對整個行業的影響 尚未可知。 在墨爾本和珀斯，皇家調查委員會 認定皇冠不適格持有牌照，但為其提供 了兩年的寬限期，允許賭場在一名有權 監管及對皇冠事務擁有特別處理權的特 別經理（Special Manager）的管治下 繼續營業。 負責維州皇家委員會的專員Ra y Finkelstein在其最終報告中寫道：「在 該（兩年）期限結束時，監管機構應確 定，是否認為Crown Melbourne已經成 為適格的持牌人選，及這樣做是否符合 公共利益。」 根據新州《Bergin Report》早 前提出的建議及作為其全面改革的 一部分，截至2020年底，皇冠的11 位董事中已有10位辭任，僅餘Jane Halton。Lendlease的前老闆Steve McCann於去年5月被任命為皇冠集團 的行政總裁兼董事總經理；前澳洲國家 銀行反洗錢專家Steven Blackburn於 2020年年底被任命為皇冠新任首席合 規和金融犯罪負責人。 皇冠同時擴大了其負責金融犯 罪、風險、合規及負責任博彩的團 隊。據稱這些部門每年的支出，相較 2019年高出約3000 萬澳元（2200萬 美元）。 然而，即使如此，仍尚不足以獲得 新州當前的監管機構獨立酒類和博彩管 理局(ILGA)的批准以在Crown Sydney內 營運賭場。該物業內的非博彩設施已經 自2020年12月起投入營運。傳言中的開 業日期來來去去，可能因ILGA正在等待 的對其競爭對手The Star Sydney的調查 結果而被推遲。 而與此同時，皇冠正在考慮一項意 向收購。該公司於近期建議股東投票支 持將公司以89億澳元的價格出售予美 國私募股權巨頭黑石集團。目前尚不清 楚黑石對於皇冠的確切計劃，但有消息 稱，其將尋求簡化營運，並將其物業作 為單獨資產出售。