Commission delivers first Crown report

The Perth Casino Royal Commission has delivered its interim report scrutinising the state's regulatory framework, but whether the report will be publicly released remains unclear.

The commission released a statement this afternoon confirming it had submitted the report to WA Governor Kim Beazley and Premier Mark McGowan, a product of 13 days of public hearings which centred around the state’s regulatory framework.

The Commission was required to submit an interim report by today addressing how the Gaming and Wagering Commission of WA had carried out its functions and the statutory framework which oversees the Perth Casino.

But the Commission does not have the authority to publish the report, and its release will be up to the state government.

The second phase of the inquiry will assess the suitability of the Perth Casino licensee, with the next witnesses due to be called from July 19 and a final report with recommendations due in mid-November.

In March, the state government announced a royal commission to determine whether Crown Perth should keep its casino licence, an inquiry anticipated to cost $5 million.

Commissioners Neville Owen, Lindy Jenkins, and Colin Murphy were appointed to lead the inquiry in the wake of a damning report by independent commissioner Patricia Bergen, which accused Crown of laundering money through subsidiaries’ bank accounts at its Perth and Melbourne operations. 

Over the past two months, several prominent figures have stood before the commission, including Department of Local Government Sport and Cultural Industries director general Duncan Ord and former chief casino officer Michael Connolly.