In a candid interview, billionaire James Packer has launched a scathing critique of former Victorian Premier Dan Andrews and Australian gambling regulators, accusing them of attempting to dismantle the local casino industry. The interview, conducted by Packer’s friend Joe Aston and published on the media site Rampart, reveals Packer’s deep-seated grievances against Andrews and the regulatory bodies.
Packer, the former major owner of Crown Resorts, expressed his disdain for Andrews, accusing him of blindsiding Crown with a new tax in 2022 that cost the company tens of millions of dollars.
“I couldn’t think more lowly of Daniel Andrews, I think he is human filth … I hope he sues me,”
Packer stated in the interview.
Taxation and Its Impact on Crown’s Sale
The additional tax imposed by Andrews, according to Packer, threatened to derail the $8.9 billion sale of Crown to Blackstone. Despite the tax challenges, the sale proceeded, providing Packer with a lucrative exit from the casino industry. Crown operates major casinos in Melbourne, Sydney, and Perth.
Packer did not hold back his feelings, stating,
“Daniel Andrews is about my least favourite person in the world. I think Daniel Andrews not only ruined Victoria. He almost ruined my life,”
while Andrews was contacted for comment but has yet to respond.
Regulatory Criticism and Comparisons
Packer’s criticism extended to gambling regulators, particularly targeting the NSW Independent Casino Commission’s chief regulator, Philip Crawford. He accused regulators of failing to act promptly against Star Entertainment, Crown’s Sydney rival, which also faced license removal.
“It’s one of the miracles of life that Philip Crawford’s got a job,”
Packer remarked, criticizing the oversight that allowed Star to operate despite alleged misconduct. Investigations by The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald had earlier uncovered money-laundering failures and alleged criminal associations involving both Crown and Star.
Packer argued that Star’s misconduct was more severe than Crown’s, pointing out that
“Star was behaving far worse than Crown ever behaved, and that’s been proven out by the fact that [the Australian Securities and Investments Commission] never laid any charges” against Crown’s board.
Crawford declined to comment on these allegations.
Legal and Ethical Breaches
Crown’s operations were scrutinized in a Victorian royal commission led by former federal court judge Ray Finkelstein, which declared the company’s conduct as
“illegal, dishonest, unethical and exploitative.”
This commission deemed Crown unfit to run its Melbourne casino after exposing a series of legal and ethical breaches.
In 2022, Australian Securities and Investments Commission chairman Joe Longo cited a lack of evidence and the statute of limitations as reasons for not prosecuting Crown’s board of directors individually.
Industry Challenges and Future Outlook
Packer lamented the regulatory actions that have, in his view, hollowed out the major casino operators, while pubs and clubs continue to thrive under more favorable conditions.
“I think it’s outrageous what’s happening to the casinos in Australia,”
he said, highlighting the financial burdens casinos face despite significant tax contributions.
Packer also criticized the cashless policies imposed on casinos, contrasting them with the cash transactions allowed in pubs and clubs.
“Now you have a situation where cash can’t be used in the casinos, and cash is used in the pubs and the clubs,”
he noted.
Despite these industry challenges, Packer shared a personal note of optimism, stating that he is in a better place after overcoming personal struggles with mental health and substance abuse. He plans to celebrate Christmas in Australia with his family, marking a hopeful personal chapter amidst the ongoing industry turmoil.
