Crown shifts away from problem gamblers focus

Casino operator Crown says it’s shifting focus to preventing gambling harm in the first place rather than just targeting problem gamblers.

The beleaguered gaming giant on Friday announced a strategy dubbed Crown PlaySafe to broaden the way it deals with the issue.

Four priority areas underpin the approach: building gambling products and safety programs with harm reduction in mind; creating a more culturally relevant approach to gambling harm; investing in research, data monitoring and harm reduction to boost system safety; and, building a safer gambling environment.

Crown’s efforts to make gambling safer also include mandatory carded play and pre-commitment systems, an online self-exclusion portal and other features to identify early signs of problem gambling.

The shift to PlaySafe comes with a rebrand, with Crown to progressively move away from its Responsible Gaming approach and titles.

A dedicated gambling research and policy team, set up in March last year, forms part of the strategy, which was developed in consultation with gambling harm experts and industry.

“The plan addresses new and emerging challenges associated with gambling harm, including how we improve our understanding of gambling participation and develop new harm reduction concepts and ideas,” Crown Resorts chief executive Ciaran Carruthers said.

Crown has agreed to pay $450 million for breaches of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism laws after admitting it failed to monitor and report suspicious transactions made through its Melbourne and Perth casinos.

From March 2016 to March 2022, Crown failed to properly monitor about 550 high-risk customers.

US private equity giant Blackstone acquired the gaming giant for $8.9 billion in June 2022, ending billionaire James Packer’s control of the company.