Australian casino operator Crown Resorts Ltd has named former MGM Resorts International executive David Tsai as the next chief executive of its Crown Perth venue (pictured in a file photo).
The appointment is subject to regulatory approval, said a Saturday announcement.
The plan is for Mr Tsai to start his new role “later this year”. He was most recently president Midwest group at MGM Resorts.
Before that, and over a period of a decade, he had senior management positions at the United States-based casino group’s properties, including in Las Vegas, Nevada. MGM Resorts is the parent of Macau casino operator MGM China Holdings Ltd.
Crown Resorts, recently taken over by entities linked to U.S.-based private investment firm Blackstone Inc, runs casino complexes at Crown Melbourne in Victoria; Crown Perth, Western Australia; and Crown Sydney in New South Wales. Respective regulatory inquiries by all three states had found the casino group unsuitable for a gaming licence in each jurisdiction. But the company was able to continue to operate under stricter oversight.
“As CEO of Crown Perth, David will lead our remediation action plan in Western Australia and work with the Crown Perth board and the newly-appointed independent monitor, Paul Steel, to implement the recommendations of the Perth Casino Royal Commission,” said Crown Resorts’ chief executive Ciarán Carruthers in prepared remarks included in the Saturday announcement.
Mr Carruthers took over as Crown Resorts’ group CEO in early September, after more than five years as chief operating officer of the Wynn Macau property, part of the portfolio of Macau casino operator Wynn Macau Ltd.
The Perth Casino Royal Commission had tabled in the Western Australian parliament in late March a report, which found Crown Resorts had shortcomings in anti-money laundering measures and minimising gambling-related harm. The commission had in the report made to the casino operator and the regulator several recommendations for improvements.
The Saturday announcement by Crown Resorts cited Mr Tsai saying: “I look forward to joining the team and working alongside them to deliver the reform and remediation plans and creating memorable experiences for our customers.”
