I call on the government to use the Bergin report on Crown Casino to implement greater scrutiny of the gambling industry and take urgent action to address the industry’s negative social impacts. The Parliament should never again rubber stamp a land grab of our harbour and foreshore for private profit through destructive gambling.

In 2013 the NSW Government and Labor Opposition joined forces to rush through legislation to abandon Sydney’s one-casino policy and give public land at Barangaroo, which was dedicated for a public harbour park, to Crown Resorts to build a casino tower. I opposed the casino along with Independent MP Greg Piper and Greens MP Jamie Parker, calling for a rigorous and transparent process surrounding the licence, assessment of Crown’s unsolicited proposal and protection of public space.

The Bergin report found Crown Resorts is not currently suitable to hold a casino licence, pointing to systemic issues with Crown’s Melbourne and Perth casinos including evidence of money laundering and poor corporate governance. The report: > HERE.

In 2013 I raised a number of the same concerns covered in the Bergin Report in Parliament when opposing the casino: > HERE.

Our harbour is one of the defining attractions of our city. It should not be turned into Las Vegas. We can’t ignore the strong links between casinos and problem gambling, money laundering and organised crime that inflict significant harm on our communities.

Read the analysis by gambling expert Charles Livingstone in The Conversation: > HERE.

I support the proposed cashless gambling card, which would help prevent money laundering and problem gambling.