No pokies for Barangaroo

In a blow to James Packer, New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian has rejected the Crown Resorts request to put poker machines inside Sydney Bangaroo Crown casino’s VIP rooms.

Basically, it means the policy of then Premier Mike Baird, who permitted a VIP-only casino in the $2 billion Barangaroo apartment, hotel and entertainment complex to operate from November 2019 has been upheld.

Back in 2014, Crown had invested $100 million to secure the restricted licence for its new casino at Barangaroo. All of this hinged on its unsolicited proposal promoting the venue as a drawcard for overseas high-rollers. Indeed back then, Crown was confident about its business model attracting wealthy high rollers, mainly from China.

But that’s run into trouble after a Chinese crackdown on offshore gambling last year that saw the arrests of 15 Crown staff in China, including three Australians.

Chinese law prohibits gambling and the promotion of gambling.

Since then, the ABC’s Four Corners has looked at speculation that Crown’s revenue from the Chinese high rollers has been plunging following the arrests.

Ms Berejiklian has ruled out Barangaroo becoming a regular casino with poker machines if Mr Packer failed to lure the clientele he was hoping to in the numbers he had envisaged.

"The policy hasn't changed — that's a VIP room," Ms Berejiklian told the ABC.

This coincides with the former chair of the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority Chris Sidoti tellling Four Corners that the parliamentary scrutiny of the licence granted to Crown was "superficial".

"I don't think there was an appetite for thorough scrutiny, I think there was a wish simply to get the job done in terms of having some basic level of examination and  doing the deal," Mr Sidoti said.

For her part, the Premier would not buy into Sidoti’s comments.

"I respect [the rights of] anyone with experience to express their views but there was a very thorough process," she told the ABC

“I’m convinced that the process was robust, in the strictest of probity and I look forward to seeing the site further develop.”

by Leon Gettler, March 9^th 2017