Latest news with #GamingandWageringCommission
Perth Now
08-08-2025
- Perth Now
WATCH: Secret casino busted inside suburban Perth home
Eighteen people including a security guard and Crown Casino employee have been busted mid-game at an alleged illegal casino operating out of a suburban home. Authorities burst through the door to find players, organisers and security in the middle of a game of Baccarat inside a Marangaroo home in Perth's north. Police from the Transnational Serious Organised Crime Squad and investigators from Racing, Gaming and Liquor uncovered the operation in April. Gaming chips, a card dealing shoe and more than $83,000 in cash were seized from the operation. Authorities also found a professional-grade table and an electronic display showing the results from previous games played. Authorities seized more than $83,000 in cash from the alleged operation. Credit: Supplied A Racing, Gaming and Liquor spokesman said the Crown Perth employee was allegedly acting as a dealer at the illegal casino and his licence has now been suspended by the Gaming and Wagering Commission. A police spokesman said no one has been charged and investigations were ongoing. It is the fourth raid carried out in Perth since 2023, resulting in other casino dealers losing their licence, action being taken against organisers and almost $300,000 seized during the raids. Authorities burst through the door to find 18 people including players, organisers, security and a Crown Casino employee allegedly in the middle of an illegal game of Baccarat. Credit: Supplied In July, three men were fined $25,000 in the Perth Magistrates Court after a raid at an unlawful gaming house in Mount Lawley seized about $130,000 in cash. Racing and Gaming Minister Paul Papalia said authorities would not stop dismantling illegal gambling networks. 'We're not targeting casual poker nights - these are professional setups, often tied to organised crime, which is why we're cracking down,' he said. 'People involved risk criminal charges, and licensed dealers will lose both their licence and their job.' Racing and Gaming Minister Paul Papalia said illegal casinos were not casual poker nights - these were professional setups, often tied to organised crime. NewsWire /Philip Gostelow Credit: NCA NewsWire Gaming and Wagering Commission chair Gary Dreibers said they relied on the police and regulator to find illegal gambling houses and stamp them out to ensure that gaming and wagering operated lawfully and ethically. 'It's well known that these unlawful casinos are used by people betting with money derived from criminal activities and attract players who have been banned from Perth's casino for various reasons,' he said. 'Authorities will continue to be vigilant and work co-operatively to disrupt these illegal gambling activities, so we warn potential event organisers and participants to think twice as we could soon be knocking on their door.' Police Minister Reece Whitby said stopping illegal gaming events sent a message to the people who were participating or thinking about participating in unlawful gambling operations 'The Cook Government is committed to removing these illegal makeshift casinos from the WA community because the consequences are serious,' he said. 'Anyone thinking of organising or playing in the unlawful gambling networks should expect the WA Police Forces' Transnational Serious Organised Crime Squad to knock on your door because they're often linked to organised crime.'
ABC News
08-07-2025
- Business
- ABC News
WA government says Crown Perth a 'suitable entity' to operate casino, three years on from royal commission
Crown Perth has been handed a lifeline by the state government and will keep its gaming licence without penalty or conditions, three years after a Royal Commission found it unfit to hold a licence in WA. The future of the state's only casino has been in the hands of the government since the final report of the Perth Casino Royal Commission was tabled in state parliament in 2022. "I have found on advice from the Gaming and Wagering Commission, that Crown Perth is a suitable entity for operating a casino without any conditions or penalties," Racing and Gaming Minister Paul Papalia said. The royal commission identified a series of failures by Crown Resorts in Perth, including facilitating money laundering, permitting criminal junkets to operate at the casino and failing to minimise casino gambling-related harm. But the commission stopped short of calling for Crown to be stripped of its licence. Instead, an independent monitor oversaw remediation activity at Crown for more than two years and handed its final report to the government in January. It was one of 59 recommendations for the government to consider in the 1,000-page report. So far, 32 have been completed, with 18 remaining to be implemented and a further nine waiting on legislative change to be enacted. Mr Papalia had the power to remove Crown's license, apply a penalty of up to $100 million or enact strict conditions, but decided against any action. When questioned whether Crown got off "scot-free", Mr Papalia said the remediation work has been enough. "To say that there's not been any impost on them is not correct," he said. "They have comprehensively changed their practices, they've had to implement new procedures, buy new equipment, apply new methods to ensure that they are complying with the recommendations. "There are practices and procedures in place to address anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist funding measures that are required and also further measures to reduce the harm from gambling." The royal commission also identified "numerous deficiencies" in WA's gaming regulator, the Gaming and Wagering Commission (GWC). The list of recommendations made to the GWC included increasing penalties for regulatory offences and improving staffing and resourcing. GWC Chair Gary Dreibergs said they now have more senior investigators and compliance officers. "We now have a greater structure than we had previously," he said. The GWC also issued directions to Crown to establish an electronic gaming machine scheme aimed at minimising gambling harm. "True and embedded cultural change for any organisation like Crown Perth takes longer than two-and-a-half years," Mr Dreibergs said. "We believe Crown can sustainably operate and embed those changes in the long term." Crown Resorts agreed to an $8.9 billion takeover by private equity firm Blackstone in 2022. Chair of Crown Resorts Perth John Van Der Wielen said the new ownership has been pivotal to improving oversight on criminal activity occurring under Crown's roof. "They took on Crown knowing the issue and we knew how much it would take to fix and I think we're there," he said. "I'm very confident now with the new independent board, completely new management team and being owned by the world's largest investor … we have the right moral compass in place."
