Crown Casino closes half its poker machines to stem coronavirus spread

Bars, nightclubs, restaurants, ballrooms and conference facilities at Crown's sprawling casino and hotel complex will be limited to 450 people, Crown said on Monday.

"Crown has also implemented other precautionary measures across its Crown Melbourne and Crown Perth entertainment complexes, including the provision of alcohol-based hand sanitiser and more frequent and strengthened cleaning measures," the company said in a statement. "Crown will continue to closely monitor the pandemic and follow guidelines from relevant health authorities."

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Crown said its social distancing policy for Crown Melbourne had been approved by the Victorian Chief Health Officer.

Crown Resorts, 37 per cent-owned by billionaire James Packer, is already bracing for a heavy hit to its profits due to the outbreak of coronavirus curbs amid restrictions on international air travel cutting the flow of its highest-spending gamblers - known as international VIPs, or "whales" - who visit its Australian venues from China.

The ASX-listed casino giant's high-roller program revenue was already in sharp decline after an investigation by The Age, Sydney Morning Herald and 60 Minutes that it has partnered with tour agents backed by some of Asia’s most powerful organised-crime syndicates as part of an assertive push to attract more top-spending Chinese gamblers. The revelations have prompted multiple state and federal inquiries into Crown and its use of high-roller agents, known as "junket operators"

Turnover from Crown's multibillion-dollar VIP program play plunged one-third in the December half, while its normalised net profit across all operations was down 11 per cent.

In response to the coronavirus pandemic, casinos worldwide have been making difficult decisions to help slow the spread. Two of the biggest casino giants in Las Vegas, MGM Resorts and Wynn Resorts, will this week close all their properties on the world-famous gambling strip.

"It is now apparent that this is a public health crisis that requires major collective action if we are to slow its progression," MGM chief executive Jim Murren said on Sunday.

"Accordingly, we will close all of our Las Vegas properties as of Tuesday, March 17, for the good of our employees, guests and communities."

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