NSW Government to establish new casino regulator amid sweeping reforms

NSW Minister for Hospitality and Racing, Kevin Anderson, has announced the introduction of “tough new measures” for the casino industry, and will establish a new independent casino regulator.

nsw government syndey gi web image
Listen To Article

The reforms come after the Bergin Inquiry found that Melbourne-based Crown Resorts ignored warnings of money laundering and links to organised crime.

As a result of the inquiry, the New South Wales Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority (ILGA) made 19 recommendations to casino operators in an effort to improve transparency and accountability.

To directly address these recommendations, the NSW Government is set to introduce a range of regulatory reforms. These will include a ban on casinos dealing with junket operators, and independent monitoring and auditing for every casino licence holder appointed under the new regulator.

Additionally, casino licence holders will be obligated to report suspicious activity and will have to perform due diligence on customers, identifying the sources of players' funds before they can gamble.

These new regulations will be enforced by the newly established NSW Independent Casino Commission (NICC), which will have “enhanced and wide-ranging compliance and enforcement powers.”

The NICC will be led by a Chief Commissioner and will be supported by at least four additional Commissioners, at least one of which will have expert anti-money laundering experience.

The NICC’s efforts will be monitored by a new multi-agency coordination committee, collaborating with the police and Crime Commission to identify money laundering cases.

Anderson said: “These reforms will ensure the people of NSW have confidence that casino operations are free from criminal influence.

"We are rebuilding the regulatory framework for casinos in NSW from the ground up, with stringent new controls to prevent money laundering and other criminal activity. Anything less than 100% compliance will not be tolerated.”

The announcement comes soon after Crown Resorts was granted approval by the ILGA to commence gaming operations at Crown Sydney.


Casino News Sponsor
Premium+ Connections
Premium
 
Premium
 
Premium
 
Premium
 
Premium
 
Premium
 
Premium
 
Premium
 
Premium
 
 
Premium
 
Premium Connections
Consultancy
Executive Profiles
Soft2Bet
Scientific Games
Digitain Malta
Follow Us

Facing Facts: Q3 2024 analysis

Gambling Insider takes a look at the Q3 results of operators...

Taking stock: The final count of 2024

Gambling Insider tracks operator and supplier prices of some...

CEO Special: Flutter CEO Peter Jackson – Playing to win

As the biggest publicly traded operator in gambling meets th...

CEO Special: Holland Casino CEO Petra de Ruiter – High flier

Petra de Ruiter, Holland Casino CEO, speaks to Gambling Insi...

A welcome from your host

A message from the Founder of the Global Gaming Awards and G...

From the event manager

A message from the Event Manager of the Global Gaming Awards...

From the Awards adjudicator

KPMG in the Crown Dependencies is the official voting adjudi...

The process

The Global Gaming Awards have deservingly earned the reputat...