James Packer's massive punt on the US casino industry could be derailed by a probity investigation into the operations of Melbourne's Crown Casino. The embattled billionaire agreed to pay USD 1.75 billion (AUD 2.59 billion) for the Cannery Casinos chain in 2007 but still requires approval from a US gambling regulator for the deal to proceed. The Sun-Herald can reveal agents from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board will visit Melbourne next month...

Die Australier Joe Hachem und Shane Warne veranstalten gemeinsam ein Charity Turiner um den armen und unterprivilegierten Kindern zu helfen. Der Charity Event findet am 27. Oktober 2008 im Crown Casino in Melbourne statt, Alle Einnahmen fließen in die Shane Warne Foundation, die die Gelder auf diverse Wohltätigkeitseinrichtungen verteilen wird.

The Packer-controlled Publishing and Broadcasting Limited (PBL) pays rent of just AUD 1 a year for its Crown casino complex in Melbourne. A Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation report, tabled in parliament on Thursday, reveals Crown's owners will pay AUD 1 a year for its Southbank site for the first 40 years of its 99 year lease and market value for the remaining years, Fairfax newspapers reported on Friday.

Gold Coast property developer Harry Kakavas is suing the Melbourne casino and its chief operating officer John Williams for AUD 30 million he claims to have lost in a 14-month period from June 2005. The Victorian Supreme Court was told Mr Kakavas, who was banned from Sydney's Star Casino, was lured by Crown Casino with offers of free flights in private jets, hundreds of thousands of dollars to gamble and a promise of a 20 per cent rebate on all losses.

PBL'S Crown Casino in Melbourne and its Burswood Casino in Perth will be used to guarantee a bond issue to help prop up the price of listed US company Melco PBL Entertainment (Macau), it emerged yesterday. James Packer's company plans to raise up to USD 250 million (AUD 290 million) in exchange tradeable bonds, as part of a move to to bolster the price of the Macau company, which has been badly hit in recent weeks by visa restrictions being imposed on gamblers by the Chinese Government.

A Melbourne man who enticed Crown Casino croupiers into a conspiracy to cheat the gambling mecca was jailed today for at least six months. Alexus Benetton, 42, approached three croupiers at the Melbourne casino between June and August 2003, Judge Joe Gullaci said today. He convinced the Crown employees to pay out losing bets and then paid them commissions.