Victorian Government unfit to regulate gambling: Greens

2021-07-05

The Victorian Greens have said tonight’s Four Corners investigation into the failed regulation of Crown Casino has called into question the fitness of the Victorian Government to regulate gambling in this state.

The Greens say that for all intents and purposes, the government has set the gambling regulator up to fail.

For too long the government has shirked responsibility of Crown by suggesting the regulator was looking into allegations of dodgy behaviour, despite knowing very little regulation was actually happening.

During this time there was evidence of Crown intimidating the regulator, of the regulator being severely underfunded, and of the government’s cosy relationship with Crown.

All of this has led to a culture of leniency enabling Crown to get away with money laundering, bags of cash under desks, and having links to international crime syndicates.

Leader of the Victorian Greens, Samantha Ratnam, said the Four Corners exposé has made clear that the government is as much to blame as Crown for the unfettered corruption allowed to run rampant for years.

She added that it shouldn’t have taken a NSW inquiry and a subsequent Royal Commission to bring all of this to light.

In 2017, Ms Ratnam moved for there to be an inquiry into the regulator, because it was clear they weren’t keeping Crown in check.

This was voted down at the time by the Victorian Labor Government.

Quotes attributable to Leader of the Victorian Greens, Samantha Ratnam MLC:  

"We know Crown is unfit to hold a gambling licence, but is the Victorian Government fit to regulate gambling? All signs point to no.

“The current Royal Commission is rightly bringing to light all of Crown’s corrupt behaviour over the years, but that shouldn’t mean the government gets to shirk its own responsibility.

“It’s the culture of leniency fostered by this government that has enabled Crown to act with impunity for so long.

“The cosy relationship between the government and Crown is well past its expiry date. It’s time for the government to finally break up with Crown.”