Prominent anti-gambling campaigner Andrew Wilkie has renewed calls for a national royal commission into the industry after Sydney’s Star Casino was found unfit to hold a gaming licence.
The Star has 14 days to respond after a report commissioned by the NSW Independent Casino Commission (NICC) found its management had ignored organised crime links and money laundering.
Commissioner Adam Bell SC found “extremely serious governance, risk management and cultural failures” had occurred.
Mr Wilkie, a federal independent MP for Tasmania, says the findings are “no surprise” and the “unethical and illegal” behaviour exposed points to “deep cultural and systemic problems in the company”.
“This latest inquiry into yet another Australian casino operator shows again why there is an urgent need for a national inquiry into these trans-state corporations,” he said in a statement on Wednesday.
“What’s now been exposed at Star in Sydney is entirely consistent with what we’ve already seen in Crown in Perth and Melbourne, and I assume will be the case at Star venues on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane,” he earlier told ABC television.
“We clearly have a national problem here.
“When are we going to start holding boards, directors and chairs, to account?”
Mr Wilkie also called for an independent national regulator to work with federal authorities like AUSTRAC and the Australian Federal Police.
But, he said, state and territory governments were conflicted about regulating the industry because they benefit from vast tax revenues.
His calls in the federal parliament for the establishment of a royal commission were twice voted down by both the Labor and Liberal parties.
“Until we have a national inquiry, and a national regulator, I fear these problems will occur again,” Mr Wilkie said.
“These are national companies that have operations across state and territory borders, so they really need to be regulated at a national level.”
In a statement to the Australian Securities Exchange on Tuesday, The Star said it was considering the commission report and subsequent notice to show why it shouldn’t lose its licence and would respond within 14 days.