Queensland’s gambling regulator, the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation (OLGR), is in hot water following revelations it had not prosecuted any casino operator in the last five financial years. The agency has now been accused of being “asleep at the wheel” by a whistleblower with inside knowledge of how things are going in the state’s casino sector.

No Prosecutions Made Against Operators Since 2017

According to figures released by the OLGR, no prosecutions were made against any Queensland operator from 2017-2018 to 2021-2022. During the same period, the regulator catered to 3,669 reported incidents and carried out 281 investigations. It also issued 522 warnings and imposed multiple fines on casino staff and customers, and prosecuted one casino employee over fraud charges.  However, no casino operator out of the four operating in the state had ever been prosecuted under the law.

Casinos Intentionally Mislead Regulators

The source said the OLGR relied greatly on self-reporting by casino operators, which is not effective as operators tend to “intentionally mislead” authorities. The whistleblower also said that the oversight body couldn’t pursue real penalties because it needed to consider government opinion on certain issues in the industry. 

Star Entertainment, which has been the subject of license suitability inquiries over money laundering and organized crime allegations, operates two casinos in Queensland – the Star Gold Coast and Treasury Brisbane. It was recently found unsuitable to hold a license in New South Wales. Queensland is due to release the final report on its own inquiry into the gambling giant.

Atlantic City’s Green Zone Redevelopment Plan has received backing from the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA). The proposal would pave the way for the creation of a cannabis-friendly zone in the city, within which all classes of state cannabis licenses will be allowed. 

Big Boost for Atlantic City

The CRDA Board of Directors threw their support behind the plan which is aimed at creating extra incentives for tourism and private investment in the city. The zone would cover the area along Atlantic Avenue and Pacific Avenue, from Boston to Maryland Avenue, with the Orange Loop District also included. 

Atlantic City Mayor and CRDA board member Marty Small Sr. is recommending full support for the plan which he said will be a “big boom” for the city. 

CRDA Says Proposal Consistent with Master Plan

The CRDA gave its backing to the proposal despite a request from the Casino Association of New Jersey to delay the vote for 30 days to allow it more time to review the plan.

CRDA’s director of planning and development Lance Landgraf said the proposal is in line with the city’s master plan and also lays out design standards that must be adhered to by cannabis businesses looking to operate in the area. The Boardwalk is excluded from the zone, along with residential neighborhoods. 

The massive expansion projects at Singapore’s two integrated resorts will drive more revenue to the country, but market growth will be limited as competition intensifies within the region based on market analysis of Praveen Choudhary, Managing Director at Morgan Stanley. 

Singapore’s Casino Expansion Projects

The Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa are investing SG$4.5 billion each for hotel and facilities expansion aimed at attracting more customers. Marina Bay is building a fourth tower comprised of more than 1,000 hotel rooms, with additional attractions such as a sky pool and a rooftop bar. Similarly, Resorts World will develop a new waterfront lifestyle complex that will house 1,100 new hotel rooms and will also expand its leisure and entertainment space.

Heated Competition in ASEAN Region

Choudhary stated during his speech at the recent G2E Asia Special Edition: Singapore event that the expansion projects would, as expected, result in higher GGR, however, it could not be considered a major boost for the sector, given the competition from neighboring countries, including the Philippines, Cambodia, and also Macau which earlier announced it was considering giving tax breaks to operators that can bring in customers from overseas.

Choudhary believes Singapore needs to be mindful of this aspect and not just solely focus on the expansion.

An investigation has been launched into another casino in Queensland which is accused of also being involved in the high-roller junket controversy which had previously hit The Ville Casino Resort in Townsville. State authorities have now included The Reef Hotel Casino Resort in the probe.

Unlawful High Roller Scheme

The investigation revolves around Melbourne businessman Lawrence Fu who allegedly served as a high-roller agent for both casinos. The Ville and The Reef have been accused of employing Fu’s services without the necessary permits, making their high-roller operations illegal. 

Fu would direct Asian customers to either The Ville or The Reef and in return received certain benefits. The Ville gave him cash and gambling credits, while The Reef paid him in the form of betting vouchers. Fu is not duly licensed to carry out the operation. 

Public Inquiry Should Include All Queensland Casinos

As it turned out, both operators were taking advantage of the casino crackdown in neighboring states to attract more wealthy customers from Asia.

There are now calls for Queensland Premier Anastacia Palaszczuk to include all Queensland casinos in the state’s public inquiry that currently focuses on The Star. 

The owners of both The Ville and The Reef have yet to comment on the matter.

No settlement has been executed yet between the Commonwealth Casino Commission (CCC) and Imperial Pacific International Holdings, the parent company of casino operator Best Sunshine International. 

Settlement Not Finalized as Scheduled

Both parties agreed to a settlement during a hearing last week conducted by the US District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands (NMI). They told Chief Judge Ramona Manglona that they expect the settlement to be executed by July 18, but according to a credible source, that did not happen as some terms still needed to be finalized.

With the parties failing to meet the July 18 schedule, the next course of action for the CCC is to file an opposition to IPI’s motion for preliminary injunction on or before July 22. The investment company would then be required to issue a reply by July 29.

If any talks for a settlement ultimately fail, the court will schedule a hearing on IPI’s motion on August 18. 

CCC’s License Revocation Hearing Could Resume

The CCC, the gaming regulator of the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, is seeking to revoke IPI’s casino license over regulatory breaches committed by the company. It was supposed to conduct a license revocation hearing in May this year but IPI was granted a temporary restraining order (TRO) to prevent the hearing. IPI could ultimately lose its casino license in the commonwealth if it fails to execute a settlement with the CCC.