Crown Melbourne to cut 200 jobs

Crown Resorts has announced 200 job cuts at its Melbourne casino, citing challenging economic conditions and ongoing regulatory obligations, according to Brisbane Times.

The reductions will affect staff within Crown Melbourne’s 13,500-strong workforce in Victoria. A company spokesperson said the business is reviewing its operations in response to cost-of-living pressures that have curbed discretionary spending, alongside stricter compliance requirements introduced after serious breaches of its casino licence.

“Impacting roles is never a decision taken lightly, but these proposed changes are necessary to support Crown Melbourne’s long-term sustainability,” the spokesperson said.

Crown remains Victoria’s largest single-site employer. However, the casino has faced mounting regulatory costs following reforms imposed after a royal commission found it had engaged in illegal, dishonest and unethical conduct. In 2023, the company paid a AU$450m penalty to AUSTRAC related to anti-money laundering failures. 

While carded play has been introduced at Crown’s poker machines, similar restrictions have not yet been applied to thousands of machines in pubs and clubs across the state. Crown has argued that this creates a competitive imbalance.

The Melbourne casino was found unsuitable to hold its licence in 2021 but was allowed to continue operating under strict oversight. Since then, Crown has implemented a series of reforms, including mandatory carded play and preset loss and time limits. The rollout of carded play at table games such as blackjack and roulette has been delayed until December 2027.

Owned by US private equity firm Blackstone, which acquired the group for AU$8.9bn in 2022, Crown reported its first profit under the new ownership last year following cost-cutting measures and asset sales. Despite that turnaround, the operator continues to navigate a demanding regulatory environment and softer consumer spending conditions.