Claims of misconduct at Melbourne’s Crown Casino warrant an urgent Senate inquiry, says independent senator Nick Xenophon.
The call follows video evidence presented in federal parliament on Wednesday by MP Andrew Wilkie which includes allegations by three former Crown workers of pokie machine tampering by staff, and the use of player identification cards to cover up transactions over $10,000, avoiding scrutiny by the anti-money laundering agency Austrac.
The allegations also included incidents of drug abuse and domestic violence inside the casino going unreported.
The interviews screened were gathered through the ‘PokieLeaks’ campaign launched in 2016 by Mr Wilkie and Senator Xenophon to expose unethical practices in the gaming and gambling industries.
“These allegations are shocking and warrant an independent judicial inquiry,” Xenophon told reporters.
“If these claims are found to be true, it also points to a massive failure of the regulatory framework. If the regulator knew about allegations of machine tampering and failed to act appropriately, that too should be the subject of a Senate inquiry.
“Any inquiry should also look into the fitness of Crown’s operators to hold a casino licence.”
James Packer’s Crown Resorts group, one of Australia’s largest gambling and entertainment companies, has denied the allegations.