Crown Resorts reopen their Casino in Melbourne with Victoria’s Covid-19 Restrictions Lift

Australian casino operator Crown Resorts wasted no time in reopening the doors of their Melbourne Casino to the public after the Australian State of Victoria lifted Covid-19 restrictions. The reopening comes after a forced hiatus of over ten days which started on 16^th July when the Victoria State Government enforced a short-term lockdown to thwart a sudden spike in Covid-19 cases across the state.

The restrictions were largely lifted on 28^th July. However, some prohibitions still remain in place. For operators such as Crown Resorts and other casinos, indoor spaces shall not accommodate more than 100 persons at any given time or there shall not be more than one person within four square meters. Additionally, social distancing should be maintained and hand-sanitizing, mask-wearing and other hygiene requirements will continue to be practiced.

On 27^th July, as a response to an investigation by the state of Victoria into a supposed underpayment of tax back in the year of 2012, Crown Resort stated that had paid AUD61m (approx. £32.3m) and that the tax came due because of the false deduction of Crown’s casino bonus rewards available to the players of Crown Melbourne’s electronic gaming machines.

However, the Victorian Royal Commission passed a verdict that Crown Resorts must make two payments in order to compensate for the remaining tax amount not covered by the payment made in 2021 and the interest accumulated on that principal amount. The payment should be made to the Victorina Commission for Gambling and Liquor (VCGLR) and it should be for an amount of $37m in order to make up for the underpayment of casino tax by Crown Resort’s Melbourne casino branch for the financial year of 2021.

The Victorian Royal Commission further stated that a second payment of $24m must be made to the state of Victoria and this payment is to cover the interest on the outstanding amount also resulting from the 2012 tax underpayment.

Sources have confirmed that Crown Resorts has since paid the VCGLR and the Victorian State a total of $61m which covers both the outstanding amount and the interest accumulated as instructed by the Victorian Royal Commission.