Crown Resorts Hit With AU$20M Fine in Victoria for Tax Breach, up to AU$500M Fines This Year

Crown Resorts has to pay an AU$20m (US$13.7m) fine in Victoria for breaking tax rules. The Victorian Gambling and Casinos Control Commission (VGCCC) announced the penalty on Friday after the casino company failed to pay the correct amounts of casino tax over an extended time period.

The press release detailed how Crown Resorts “improperly claimed tax deductions by including the costs of certain promotional activities as amounts paid out as winnings.”

VGCCC believes that the AU$20m (US$13.7m) penalty will send a strong message to gambling operators

A royal commission also found during its investigations that the casino operator deliberately hid these wrongful deductions from the authorities. The VGCCC believes that the AU$20m penalty will send a strong message to gambling operators about not properly paying their taxes.

This is the latest significant fine that Crown Resorts has gotten for improper practices in Australia. It received an AU$450m (US$309m) fine in May from the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre for anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing failings. In April, it was told to pay an AU$30m (US$20.6m) penalty by the VGCCC for allowing patrons to exchange checks for casino chips.