Crown Melbourne Allowed High-Stakes Gambler to Bet for 34 Hours Straight
A high-stakes player at Crown Melbourne was permitted to wager for more than 34 consecutive hours. This disturbing disclosure surfaced during the Victorian Royal Commission’s investigation into Crown Resorts, which is assessing whether the corporation is suitable to retain its permit for the Southbank gaming establishment.
Evidence indicated that although Crown personnel urge cardholders to pause every 12, 15, and 17 hours, this protocol is not applicable to non-cardholders, representing a substantial oversight in their observation. A particularly worrisome instance from 2019 was emphasized, where a whale wagered for over a day and a half before any staff member stepped in.
This occurrence, combined with the discovery that players at Crown Melbourne are three times more prone to encounter gambling-related harm compared to those at other Victorian locations, generates significant apprehensions. The investigation also unveiled a startling imbalance between the quantity of customers and personnel allocated to responsible gaming: Crown Melbourne received an average of 64,000 guests per day between 2016 and 2019, yet only employed 12 staff members to supervise responsible gaming procedures. This deficiency in supervision fosters an atmosphere where individuals can gamble for extended durations without any intervention, as noted by the assisting legal counsel.
