Tougher penalties, better oversight and more powers for the regulator are improvements for strengthened casino legislation which has been passed by the State Parliament.
The Casino Legislation Amendment (Burswood Casino) Act 2022 is the first legislative step towards addressing issues raised by the Perth Casino Royal Commission.
The legislation provides the Gaming and Wagering Commission (GWC) with greater powers to enact the recommendations of the Royal Commission.
It also allows for the appointment of an Independent Monitor, who will work closely with the GWC and the casino operator on remediation processes within the casino.
According to the Minister for Racing and Gaming, Tony Buti, Western Australia’s casino operator faces harsher penalties for non-compliance under the new legislation, with the maximum fine increased from $100,000 to $100 million.
The Minister said other measures in the Act include additional offences and penalties relating to providing false or misleading information to the Independent Monitor, and an enhancement of GWC powers to direct the Perth Casino.
Mr Buti said that now the legislation had passed Parliament, he looked forward to installing the Independent Monitor at the casino as quickly as possible.
“As outlined in the legislation, we will also be able to recover the costs of the Independent Monitor from the casino,” Mr Buti said.
“We are setting the bar high for integrity and transparency for the casino operator in Western Australia — compliance will not be optional,” he said.
He said further work was under way to look at how the Casino Control Act 1984 could be reformed.
