Royal Commission into the Casino Operator and Licence

An overview of the Royal Commission into the Casino Operator and Licence.

In October 2021 the Finkelstein Royal Commission into the Casino Operator and Licence(opens in a new window) found Crown Melbourne Limited unsuitable to hold Victoria’s casino licence.

The Royal Commission recommended Crown Melbourne be permitted to continue operating the casino under stringent independent oversight conditions for two years, as immediate cancellation was determined not to be in the best interests of the Victorian community due to the significant risk to innocent third parties and the state’s economy.

The Royal Commission also determined that Crown Melbourne had the will and capacity to reform itself to again become a suitable person to hold a casino licence, and it had already started a significant reform program. Commissioner Finkelstein concluded a reform program delivered under independent oversight conditions was likely to succeed and, if it does, it will be of benefit to Victoria.

In response to Royal Commission recommendations, the Victorian Government established the role of the Special Manager to:

  • independently oversee the affairs of Crown, and keep a watchful eye on the progress of its reform
  • monitor, assess and report on Crown’s reform program in response to the Finkelstein Royal Commission.

Stephen O’Bryan KC was appointed pursuant to section 36B of the Casino and Gambling Legislation Amendment Act 2021 as the Special Manager for the Melbourne Casino Operator from 1 January 2022 until 30 June 2024.

You can view the recommendations(opens in a new window) relating to the establishment of the Special Manager on the Royal Commission website. Further details relating to the role of the Special Manager are also included in Appendix I of the Royal Commission report(opens in a new window).

Updated