WA gambling watchdog ‘ineffective’ in face of money laundering risk
Hannah Wootton, 19 May 2021
The Western Australia gambling watchdog’s board “regularly discussed” the threat of money laundering in Crown’s Perth casino but did not feel it had “the resources or authority” to investigate it itself, a royal commission heard on Wednesday.
The Gaming and Wagering Commission instead relied on AUSTRAC, WA Police and the Federal Police to stop any possible illegality on its watch, despite not knowing how these law enforcement agencies actually did so.
The revelations, which build on previous testimony by GWC members that it did not take an active role in stopping money laundering threats, came in the second-last day of hearings in WA’s inquiry into Crown’s suitability to hold a casino licence.
A NSW inquiry into the James Packer-backed gambling giant found it probably facilitated money laundering of hundreds of millions of dollars through its Perth casino bank account for five years.
The final weeks of the inquiry have focused on how this occurred on the GWC’s watch, with former member Andrew Duckworth set to be its last witness on Thursday.
