The latest trend in the Australian gambling market sees operators making big plans to attract high rollers from Asia. While bringing these visitors into local casinos will certainly boost the economy, concerns have been expressed about the potential dangers that could come with them.
In a recent report by ABC News, reporter Linton Besser investigated the junkets that bring wealthy Asian tourists to Australia to gamble in high roller rooms. He asked some very important questions: “Who are these high-rollers? Where do they get their money? And who is profiting from the junkets that bring them here?”
The report notes that many of the junkets that bring in tourism are reputable companies and that some are even listed on the stock exchange. However, organised crime has found its way into the market. Since there is a limit to how much money Asian gamblers can take out of the country with them, they gamble on credit.
There is no way for this to be enforced legally, debt collectors get involved. As such, organised crime makes its way into the Asian high roller gambling market. Casino operators in Australia should take these concerns into consideration. As Crown Casino makes plans to open up a casino in Sydney that caters exclusively to high roller players, it is crucial that the operator prepares for the potential involvement of organised crime.
Safeguards measures should be introduced to keep criminals out of the casino and to ensure that players remain safe. This is a growing concern, as more and more Australian gaming firms enhance their VIP offerings. High roller gambling is certainly a lucrative market, but there are dangers that come along with it.
So, now is certainly the time to start looking at crime prevention measures.
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