Crown Resorts, now owned by a global investment group, recently returned to profit after several tough years marked by regulatory scrutiny, fines and changing gambling rules that reshaped how its casinos operate in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. The company once relied heavily on big-spending international gamblers but stricter controls on high-roller activity and tighter compliance requirements have forced a major reset of its business model and spending priorities.
As part of that reset, Crown is shifting most of its technology, accounting and finance work to a specialist capability centre in Asia, with more than 100 corporate roles in Australia expected to go while guest-facing and frontline jobs remain in place for now. Consultants brought in to lift performance have helped identify areas where support functions can be consolidated and management is leaning on those recommendations after already stripping out about $220 million in costs, selling offshore assets and divesting minority stakes in hospitality brands to stabilise its balance sheet.
This offshore pivot looks like a key plank in Crown’s broader strategy to replace shrinking high-roller revenue with stronger earnings from restaurants, hotels, entertainment and nightlife even as it negotiates with unions representing more than 1000 workers at its Melbourne resort over pay and conditions. The cuts seem to be aimed at making the business leaner and more resilient but they also risk adding pressure to an already strained workforce while rival casino operators follow a similar path of head-office reductions and cost controls, which suggests the entire sector is still working out how to stay profitable in a tougher regulatory and economic climate.
