Queensland possibly to broaden investigation into more casinos

Two months have passed since Queensland confirmed that it is opening a probe into Star Entertainment’s casinos in the state. The investigation launched last week with public hearings held on several occasions and some evidence about suspicious practices already surfacing from those hearings.

But now, the state is facing mounting pressure from members of the public and anti-gambling hawks who wish to see more being done into investigating a spillover that concerns other gambling venues in the state. According to Channel 9 program 60 Minutes, there have been reports of "an alleged illegal junket operator" running out of The Ville, Townsville.

As a reminder, the investigation into Crown Resorts reported by The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, triggered the biggest review of gambling operations in Australia in the past two decades. Now, the investigative work put in by Channel 9 is bound to have a similar effect.

The state government has already confirmed that it has instructed the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation to investigate the allegations made by the media. Another property, to name the Cairns Reef Hotel Casino, has also been named in the report, according to ABC News.

Meanwhile, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has dodged reporters’ questions about whether she knew about the fresh allegations laid bare against more Queensland properties. Palaszczuk said that she was not aware of said allegations, which led Tim Costello from Alliance for Gambling Reform to criticize the Premier arguing that 60 Minutes was a national program and that it was incredulous for Palaszczuk to not have seen it.

The current probe into Queensland’s casinos involves The Star Gold Coast and Treasury Brisbane, both owned by Star Entertainment Group. Investigators are looking into how much Star knew about the use of China UnionPay debit and credit card facilities and whether the casinos knowingly allowed notorious individuals to partake in gambling on their floors.

This comes at a difficult moment for Star, as the company’s building the Queen’s Wharf casino development project in Brisbane, and as such, the Group wants to make sure that it meets regulatory standards across the board. It seems unlikely, though, given the current tone of the investigation to see harsh measures enacted against the casino.

While Crown Resorts has to operate under supervision insofar as its license is concerned, no license revocation has actually been involved in any of these cases. It’s unlikely that Star will have to fear about its license but expanding the probe may sway the government unexpectedly.

Opposition to gambling advertisements is already strong among the population and Australians may not be happy to find out that alleged criminals have been whiling away their time on casino floors in their states.

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