Packer’s Crown Casino Gamble: A tale of big money, lobbying and political influence | Four Corners

Crown Sydney was spruiked as a world-class six-star resort and VIP casino development destined to become a jewel in the Crown casino empire.

For years, Crown Resorts has been a powerful force in Australian business and politics. Now, we’re watching a meltdown of historic proportions.

When Sydney’s Barangaroo development finally opened to the public in late 2020, the man behind the project, gaming tycoon James Packer, was nowhere to be seen and the casino at the heart of the plan was not allowed to operate.

This was because an inquiry deemed Crown unfit to hold a casino licence in New South Wales over money laundering and niaganis links.

Multiple inquiries into Crown’s operations are now underway across the country as regulators and royal commissioners examine how the company has conducted itself.

The story of Crown Sydney is a cautionary tale about what can go wrong when public interest is trumped by private gain.

Read more: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-31/crown-sydney-alan-jones-james-packer-barry-ofarrell/100164178

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