Crown Resorts facing third probe into Melbourne casino AML compliance

Australian casino operator Crown Resorts saw its shares tumble on Monday on news of a third regulatory probe into its potential anti-money laundering compliance failures.

Crown investors took yet another kick to the nads first thing Monday when the company announced that its Crown Melbourne casino was being investigated by the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC), which “identified potential non-compliance” with anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing (CTF) regulations.

Crown said the probe resulted from a 2019 compliance assessment that found shortcomings in Crown Melbourne’s ongoing customer due diligence and its adoption, maintenance and compliance with AML/CTF programs. The matter has been referred to AUSTRAC’s enforcement team, which has “initiated a formal enforcement investigation” into Crown Melbourne’s compliance.

The AUSTRAC probe marks the third separate investigation into Crown’s apparently sketchy commitments to regulatory compliance, following the ongoing inquiry by the New South Wales Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority (ILGA) and the more recent ‘show cause’ order issued by Crown Melbourne’s state watchdog, the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation (VCGLR).