Crown Gaming has announced an opening date of August 8th for its long-awaited flagship skyscraper on Sydney Harbour.
Casino will be open to VIPs only
However, according to reports in the local media, the casino will only be allowed to open to VIP customers on this date.
Crown was prevented from opening its new AU$2.2 billion casino and hotel in Bangaroo for over a year due to an inquiry led by former Supreme Court judge Patricia Bergin had found that the company was unfit to hold a gaming license. Since then, Crown has been working to meet NSW’s conditional licensing requirements.
Just last month, the NSW Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority (LGA) announced that it had approved a gaming license for the Bangaroo property on certain conditions for an initial 18-24 month period. This included the appointment of an independent assessor to oversee the business and ensure that all licensing requirements are met throughout the conditional period.
Speaking of the opening, Crown Sydney CEO Simon McGrath said:
“The opening of our gaming operations at Crown Sydney is a defining moment for Crown, and the culmination of months of hard work from our dedicated team.
The entire team at Crown Sydney has been preparing for this moment for a long time and we felt the symbolism of the 08.08 date represented ideal timing to open our doors.”
McGrath is referring to the Chinese-held belief that the number eight is a lucky number associated with wealth.
LGA chair Philip Crawford said that the Bergin inquiry only highlighted the scale of the issues that needed to be addressed by Crown and that the laundering of billions of dollars through its casino operations could never happen again.
Crown has stated that its new gaming operations comprise two VIP gaming floors named the Crystal Room and the Mahogany Room while there are 12 private Sky Salons. The floors include 160 gaming tables and 70 electronic table games.
McGrath added:
“We are committed to delivering a safe and responsible gaming environment for all, and Crown Sydney’s restricted gaming facility has been designed with the highest levels of governance and compliance.”
Any patrons must be a member of the casino’s VIP program and undergo comprehensive background checks to establish legal source of funds.
Image credit: Paolo Rosa / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
London based reporter covering all aspects of the global regulated and unregulated land-based and online gambling industry - including business news, sports-betting, casinos, poker & regulation