Casino
The casino operates 24 hours, 7 days a week. As of 2012 it is the monopoly casino operator in Perth, Western Australia. There are 1,500 coin-operated game machines with a variety of games such as Keno, Video Poker and others involving dice, dominoes and balls. Jackpots are linked to many of these games. Reel-slots, operated with a pull-down lever, are not permitted in Western Australia.
The table games include Baccarat, Mini Baccarat, Blackjack, Roulette, Poker (Texas Hold'Em, Omaha), Three Card Poker, Casino War, Progressive Texas Hold'Em, Pai Gow, Money Wheel, Sic Bo and Caribbean Stud.
Crown Perth also has the only casino Two-up ring in Australia, where the players have the option of spinning the coins. Aside from Crown, only race clubs and RSL clubs in Western Australia can conduct Two-up schools on Anzac Day or race days, provided venues are not within 100 kilometres of Crown Perth, and any profit goes to social, political or charitable purposes. There is provision for special permits to be granted with Crown's consent.
On 1 August 2012, Crown Limited announced it was seeking a "massive" expansion of gambling facilities, increasing the number of poker machines to 2,500 and gaming tables will increase from the present number of 220 to 350, an increase of nearly 60%. The Government of Western Australia is backing Crown's application to the state's Gaming and Wagering Commission, and the proposal has the personal support of WA premier Colin Barnett, who described the increase in gambling facilities "as natural growth," and said it was "common sense" for the expansion as it was being made in line with the development of a new six-star hotel in the casino complex.
Crown has entered into an agreement with the state government to build the hotel on land the government will provide for $60 million. The government's agreement not to object to the increase in gambling facilities is part of the deal. Crown Perth is the only venue in Australia's biggest state that is allowed to operate poker machines. In all other Australian states and territories almost every hotel is equipped with poker machines, while licensed clubs packed with poker machines are widespread.
The proposal to upscale gambling facilities is controversial. Independent senator Nick Xenophon said "James Packer knows he has just been handed the gift that will give him hundreds of millions of dollars for years to come." Ian Carter, chief executive of Anglicare WA, told ABC Radio "The Productivity Commission report and a whole range of other reports around this country have clearly highlighted the cost to our community of gaming machines and poker machines."
Read more about this topic: Crown Perth