Crown Resorts Employees Detained in China

• Crown Resorts employees accused of gambling violations
• Jason O’Connor, the head of Crown’s VIP International team, is one of 18 employees being questioned by Chinese authorities
• Under a consular treaty between the two countries, Chinese authorities have three days in which to notify Australian officials

An undisclosed number of Crown Resorts employees have been detained by the Chinese government for suspicion of gambling crimes. 

From the Wall Street Journal:

Melbourne-based Crown, part-owned by Australian billionaire James Packer, has been benefiting from an upsurge in Chinese tourists at its Australian casinos even as a graft clampdown by the Chinese government has hurt its operations in the gambling enclave of Macau. It is illegal to advertise casinos in mainland China, but casino operators such as Crown can promote tourism to the resorts where the casinos are located.

Chinese officials have said the investigation is ongoing with few details being revealed as of Sunday evening.

A top management official is apparently among those apprehended.

“Crown believes that Jason O’Connor, the head of Crown’s VIP International team, is one of 18 employees being questioned by Chinese authorities,” the company spokesperson said.

A spokesman for Australia’s foreign affairs department said it was “aware of reports of the possible detention” overnight Thursday of a number of Crown employees across China, including three Australians.

Under a consular treaty between the two countries, Chinese authorities have three days in which to notify Canberra of the detention of any Australian citizens, the Wall Street Journal reported.

“Consular officials will seek to offer appropriate consular assistance to the detained Australians,” the spokesman said.

Crown recently announced its intentions to sever ties with the Chinese gambling enclave of Macau following recent restrictions placed on it by the Mainland Government. 

- Jagajeet Chiba, Gamlbing911.com