Crown Resort staff charged in China

Beijing, 13 June 2017 –
Crown Resorts said its staff held in China have been charged with gambling-related offenses, the most significant development in the case since the employees were rounded up by mainland authorities in October, Bloomberg reported.

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All the workers, including those released on bail, have been charged with offenses related to the promotion of gambling and the cases have been referred to the Baoshan District Court, Melbourne-based Crown said in a statement. 

Crown’s head of international high-roller operations, Australian Jason O’Connor, Malaysian national Alfread Gomez and 17 others are due to appear in court on June 26, according to a notice on the Shanghai court’s website. It’s illegal to gamble or promote gambling in China, other than in Macau, and the detentions raised concern of a renewed clampdown on overseas casino operators that woo Chinese citizens offshore to gamble.

Under John Alexander, who replaced Rowen Craigie as CEO in February, Crown is focusing on its hotels and casinos in Australia, including a new A$2 billion (US$1.5 billion) luxury resort on Sydney’s waterfront.