Australian casino operator Crown Resorts is reportedly negotiating a deal to operate the Chinese-backed ASF consortium’s new $2b casino in the state of Queensland.

On Friday, The Australian reported that James Packer’s Crown was holding secret talks regarding a contract to operate the ASF consortium’s planned casino on the Gold Coast Broadwater. Neither ASF nor Crown has officially commented on the report.

ASF’s Gold Coast plans received a conditional go-ahead from the Queensland state government last August but the fact that the consortium’s chief backers are two Chinese state-owned firms – China State Construction Engineering Corp and CCCC Guangzhou Dredging Corp – reportedly led the government to suggest that obtaining the necessary gaming license would be a much smoother process if a local operator was brought on board.

ASF duly sought expressions of interest from casino operators and Crown is believed to have emerged as the frontrunner, despite the consortium’s original plan to rely on experienced US casino execs to oversee the project’s gaming operations.