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Crown
Resorts
News
Crown
Resorts rolls out new Crown PlaySafe gambling harm
prevention program
28th
July 2023
Australia’s
Crown Resorts has announced its new Crown PlaySafe
gambling harm prevention program, which it says will
introduce a raft of measures aimed at reducing gambling
harm within its Australian resorts.
Set
to replace the current Responsible Gambling program,
Crown said PlaySafe will broaden the company’s
focus from identifying and supporting those experiencing
gambling harm to preventing it from happening in the
first place.
The
plan includes a renewed focus on player wellbeing
and care, and the establishment of a dedicated gambling
research and policy team, it added.
Among
the key initiatives to comprise Crown PlaySafe are
mandatory carded-play and pre-commitment systems,
marketing guardrails, training improvements to help
identify early signs of gambling harm, guest education,
and investing in research and data monitoring, including
the testing of new harm reduction concepts and ideas.
Aside
from mandatory carded-play and pre-commitment systems
being introduced at Crown Melbourne, new restrictions
will include cashless gaming on electronic table games
at Crown Sydney, AU$10 maximum bet limits on electronic
gaming machines at Crown Perth and a new resorts-wide
online self-exclusion portal.
A
gambling harm research and policy team has also been
created, led by gambling harm research and policy
specialist Dr Jamie Wiebe. According to Crown, the
team will invest in best practice gambling harm prevention
strategies that prioritise player wellbeing and care,
while developing a “knowledge exchange hub”
to exchange and test ideas and to run various events
and seminars promoting the responsible gaming message.
As
Crown PlaySafe is rolled out in the year ahead, Crown
will unveil a new website, logo, colours, language
and purpose statement for the program, and rename
position titles across the company and its responsible
gaming centres.
“We
know that we can do more to maximize player safety,
which is why Crown is scaling up all efforts to introduce
these world-leading initiatives that help to educate
and support guests to play in a positive and safe
way,” said Crown Resorts CEO Ciarán Carruthers.
“The
plan addresses new and emerging challenges associated
with gambling harm, including how we improve our understanding
of gambling participation and develop new harm reduction
concepts and ideas.
“With
a focus on collaboration and engagement with government,
industry and community-based partners, I am confident
that together we can reduce gambling harm and create
a safer gambling future for all Australians.”
News
Blackstone
preparing to “invest significant capital”
into Crown Melbourne upgrade -
June 2023
The
President of US private equity giant Blackstone says
the company is planning to invest heavily into a much-needed
renovation and upgrade of Crown Melbourne following
its AU$8.9 billion (US$6.5 billion) acquisition of
the property’s parent company, Crown Resorts,
last year.
Speaking
with The Australian while in town this week, Jon Gray
said he was confident Crown could become one of the
world’s leading casino operators again in the
coming years but that significant improvements were
required across its long-time flagship operation in
Melbourne.
Describing
Crown Melbourne as “truly one of the kind, given
its scale”, Gray explained, “Melbourne is
a physical turnaround story and our objective would
be to invest significant capital there and enhance
the asset, which we think will be great for the community
and great for tourism there as well.”
On
Crown’s recent regulatory issues, which found
the company deemed unsuitable to hold casino licenses
in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth but given two years
in each market to return to suitability, Gray added,
“We want to be a best-in-class entertainment
company and hotel business. We understand that there
was a lot that wasn’t done right and we’ve
got to come in here and operate at the highest standard,
the highest standard from a compliance standpoint,
but then make them as attractive as possible to customers.”
Despite
the challenges still faced by Crown, which last week
agreed to pay a whopping AU$450 million (US$293 million)
fine to settle litigation by Australia’s financial
crimes watchdog AUSTRAC, Gray has likened Crown –
and particularly Crown Melbourne – to The Cosmopolitan
of Las Vegas.
Blackstone
famously acquired the struggling Las Vegas Strip property
for US$1.7 billion in 2014 and eventually sold the
business for almost US$5.7 billion after investing
heavily into the property.
“If
you went back to that (Cosmopolitan) story, it was
a company that had been built, foreclosed on and had
a number of staff issues and needed capital to complete
it,” he recalled. “And we went in, we brought
in a lot of capital and hardware, but then software
in terms of restaurants and entertainment, a great
management team.”
Asked
by The Australian what role Crown’s three Australian
casinos could play moving forward, Gray replied, “We
think these are great tourism assets. And frankly,
I think tourism is one of Australia’s great growth
engines. Sydney, Melbourne, Perth – these are
world-class cities that people want to visit. So isn’t
it a good idea to own world-class assets in those
cities?
“It’s
a new day at Crown. That’s what we want to convey
to people – we’re committed to operating
this business at the highest standard possible and
ultimately, we want tourists to come back in a big
way.”
Foundation
Profiles
Crown
Resorts Crown
Melbourne James
Packer Art
Creative
Arts Entertainment
WESTERN
SYDNEY INITIATIVE
Over
10 years, beginning in financial year 2014/15, $30
million of funding will be allocated to eligible arts
projects in Western Sydney. It is hoped this initiative
will enhance Western Sydney’s arts capacity by
promoting the accessibility and availability of the
arts and supporting projects and organisations that
encourage excellence, innovation and creativity in
the arts.
Crown Resorts are seeking project submissions that
are dynamic and relevant, that represent and promote
the diverse identity of Western Sydney. Focussing
on young people’s engagement with the arts, these
projects will:
Provide opportunity for participation and engagement
with the arts
Enhance Indigenous arts and cultural programs
Develop local professional arts practice
Encourage community engagement
For more information visit: www.crownresorts.com.au
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