The gaming authority in Western Australia faces allegations of placing Crown Perth’s economic well-being above public welfare by greenlighting quicker electronic gambling devices. Testimony before the Perth Casino Royal Commission revealed that Crown Perth was in a financially unstable state when it petitioned the regulatory body in 2019, requesting authorization to modify its machines to resemble the highly addictive slot machines prohibited in Western Australia. Duncan Ord, the former head of the Gaming and Wagering Commission (GWC), informed the royal commission that Crown had cautioned about potential job cuts if the alterations were not granted. The GWC’s legal representative suggested to Mr. Ord that the regulatory body had merely embraced Crown’s assertions without seeking any specialized counsel on the possible detrimental effects on players. Mr. Ord concurred that the regulator had essentially placed a higher priority on Crown’s fiscal interests over mitigating harm.
Mr. ODea advocated for the honesty of Mr. Connolly, a past gambling establishment manager at Crown Perth, amid worries about the casino possibly altering digital gaming devices (“pokies”) to accelerate wagering pace. While recognizing that the boundary between pokies and classic poker machines was growing hazier, Mr. ODea insisted that Mr. Connolly, in spite of his personal connections with casino personnel, consistently operated with probity and grasped the difference between his work obligations and private associations. He voiced complete faith in Mr. Connolly’s dedication to upholding his responsibilities as a casino overseer. Mr. O’Dea’s statement emerged just prior to his departure announcement, which was disclosed by the Western Australian administration.
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