His bag contains hundreds of thousands of dollars.Crown Casino is obliged to report all transactions over $10,000 to the country's
anti-money laundering authority, AUSTRAC.These types of transactions are
not uncommon, as CCTV footage from a whistleblower obtained by the ABC
show.
But leaked reports from the Victorian Gambling watchdog in 2017 detailed concerns from inspectors about these types of transactions and
the lack of record-keeping by the gambling giant.
One whistleblower says foreign high-rollers often fly to Australia on private jets, avoiding customs inspections, and exchanging huge
amounts of cash with no trace."I think this is just the tip of the
iceberg about what is going on at Crown. I think Crown are a law unto
themselves,'' the whistleblower said."You don't know where [the cash]
has come from, you don't know if it's the result of drug trafficking, of
prostitution or child exploitation. You just don't know."
SunCity is a Macau-based junket operator that flies in wealthy Chinese gamblers to casinos in Australia.It has a dedicated gaming room
within Crown's Melbourne casino.Inspectors for the Victorian Commission
for Gambling and Liquor Regulation (VCGLR) raised serious concerns in
reports about these transactions in the junket operator rooms because
there was "a lack of recording of such transactions within Crown
systems".
It also says that staff on the floor, when questioned about the large transactions, replied that it was a matter between the junket
operator and their punters.Crown has a comprehensive Anti-Money
Laundering (AML) and Counter-Terrorism Financing (CTF) program, which
has been and continues to be subject to ongoing regulatory supervision
by AUSTRAC," the spokesperson said.
"Crown provides a range of information in a proactive manner in accordance with its regulatory obligations, including the reporting of
all transactions over $10,000, international funds transfer instructions
and the reporting of suspicious transactions of any value.
"Crown has a strong history of compliance with and commitment to its AML/CTF obligations and we work closely with law enforcement and
regulatory agencies in support of that commitment."The casino is also
limited from disclosing which agencies it shares information with.
The commission reports also described how in one case, the VCGLR instructed Crown to cease business with a junket operator, but it was
rejected.The VCGLR said as one of many regulators, it worked with other
agencies including Victoria Police and AUSTRAC."If the VCGLR becomes
aware of matters that fall outside of its remit, such as money
laundering and criminal activity, the VCGLR has systems in place to
ensure that these matters are referred to the relevant agency in a
timely matter," a spokeswoman said.
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