During a court hearing on Monday, Justice Michael Lee raised doubts about the seriousness of the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre’s (AUSTRAC) intention to expedite its case against Crown.
The allegations against the casino suggest that its programs violated laws related to anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing. In late 2022, the regulator brought similar lawsuits against The Star in Sydney and SkyCity Adelaide who were also represented in court.
The judge pointed out that despite the regulator initiating a lawsuit against Crown Melbourne and Crown Perth in March of the previous year, not much progress had been made in the case. The parties were caught up in negotiations concerning agreed-upon facts and admissions.
Justice Lee told AUSTRAC’s barrister Michael Hodge KC:
“The Congress of Vienna took nine months to talk about the future of Europe, you’ve had 12 months to talk about admissions. What’s happening? Why has there been such an extraordinary delay for no apparent progress?”
Hodge admitted that Crown had not yet made any official admissions, even after lengthy discussions. However, he mentioned that AUSTRAC was fully committed to pursuing the lawsuit against the casino giant.
Crown’s barrister Kane Loxley said that his client was “very likely” to admit breaches regarding its business activities:
“It is very likely that Crown will be admitting non-compliance with those programs and the AML/CTF rules.”
According to AUSTRAC, the casino’s noncompliance with its obligations made its systems more susceptible to criminal exploitation. The court was informed that any disagreements would probably be related to the interpretation and perception of the laws governing this area.
A Crown Resorts spokesperson said:
“We have been engaging constructively with AUSTRAC and will continue to do so as it works to the court-ordered timetable in relation to this matter. Crown has an ambition to be the world leader in the detection and prevention of financial crime, as part of its commitment to the delivery of safe and responsible gaming and entertainment.”
Representing The Star, barrister John Sheahan KC said these cases usually resulted in “complete admissions” by those facing charges:
“It is the goal of my client and I’m sure of AUSTRAC to bring that outcome about.”
SkyCity’s barrister Wendy Harris KC did not say whether her client would make similar admissions.
Ciaran has been working within the Gambling Industry as a deep analyst since 2019. His deep knowledge and understanding of all the gambling regulations, and processes makes him a true asset, and an always valuable point of view for Gambling Industry News, allowing us to cover every topics from a brand new perspective.