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Crown’s complaint system needs ‘considerable improvements’, special manager finds
Almost two years after an inquiry into Melbourne’s Crown casino concluded, a special manager tasked with supervising its reforms said the complaints process still needs “considerable improvements”.
Naomi Neilson
Heading up the Office of the Special Manager (OSM) for the Melbourne casino operator, former IBAC commissioner Stephen O’Bryan KC said that while the casino’s reforms have reinforced much of its operations, it still needs close scrutiny for the remainder of 2023.
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“The OSM’s assessment of Crown’s work on strengthening its integrity framework will continue, including to evaluate whether Crown establishes sound governance and resourcing to effectively drive anti-bribery and corruption prevention work across the organisation,” Mr O’Bryan said on Wednesday (19 July) morning.
Mr O’Bryan said “considerable improvements” will be needed in the Crown’s approach to handling complaints “to ensure any concerns raised by customers and other members of the public are properly recorded, considered and responded to”.
“An audit by the Crown to identify how its public complaints handling policies, systems and practices can be improved will be independently monitored and assessed by the OSM,” he added.
In October 2021, commissioner Ray Finkelstein AO KC found Crown was unsuitable to hold Victoria’s casino licence, concluding the conduct was “illegal, dishonest, unethical and exploitative”.
The inquiry found Crown facilitated millions to be laundered through a bank account of its subsidiary and allowed operators with links to organised crime to arrange for junket players to gamble at the casino.
“Many senior executives involved in the misconduct were indifferent to their ethical, moral and sometimes legal obligations. Some were motivated by a drive for profit. Some simply did what they did because they could,” commissioner Finkelstein said.
Commissioner Finkelstein allowed Crown to continue its operation under strict conditions and appointed Mr O’Bryan in January 2022.
Mr O’Bryan has been overseeing the casino’s current operations, its engagement with key stakeholders and has identified the main areas of reform work for continued assessment and evaluation.
He said its code of conduct, policies and procedures “must be reinforced through active leadership and ongoing education and training to support employees to act consistently with the values and ethical standards the community has a right to expect”.
Late last week, the Federal Court approved a $450 million financial penalty agreed between Crown and watchdog AUSTRAC.
Mr O’Bryan’s fourth and final report is due in January 2024.
