John Van Der Wielen: ‘Culture of accountability’ is key in Crown Perth’s new era

Crown Perth is preparing to celebrate its 40th birthday on 30 December. Fittingly, it hits this milestone during the most transformative chapter in its history.

Many will vividly remember the fanfare that accompanied the opening of Burswood Island Casino in 1985.

It was Australia’s largest casino and the third largest casino in the world, making it a notable new addition to Perth’s skyline.

It epitomised sophistication and Perth’s aspiration.

Built on a former landfill site, its transformation into a world class resort captured the imagination of the public and reflected Perth’s ambition to be seen on the global stage. WA was riding a wave of economic optimism; the casino’s arrival was a bold statement of the State’s progress and prosperity.

Over the past four decades, the complex has been expanded, renovated and renamed. In recent years though, a critical but less obvious shift has taken place.

The findings of the Perth Casino royal commission in 2022 laid bare failures which demanded sweeping reform.

The report marked a clear turning point.

Crown has since navigated one of WA and Australia’s largest corporate transformations. In response to the royal commission, Crown Perth embarked on comprehensive reform, leaving no area of the business untouched.

The scope of the remediation was significant, and it was clear timely action was important. Delays or inaction would have impacted the business, but more importantly, the thousands of team members, contractors, suppliers, charities and community partners who depend on Crown Perth.

Blackstone’s acquisition of Crown Resorts in June 2022 sent a clear signal — the company was backed by an owner fully committed to the scale and seriousness of the transformation required.

Over the next three years, a refreshed local board and a new, WA-based senior executive team brought local insight and a renewed culture of accountability.

Between October 2022 and April 2025, Crown Perth’s remediation was supervised by a government-appointed independent monitor, who had full oversight.

I am a great believer that your focus becomes your reality — and our total focus has been on remediating the past to set the right culture and tone for the how an integrated resort should operate today.

The numbers alone speak to the scale of the collaboration and Crown’s transparency. Over the course of the monitorship, Crown Perth produced more than 8300 documents and 106,000 pages of information for the independent monitor.

Crown Perth’s governance frameworks have been rebuilt, financial crime controls overhauled, and risk and compliance systems strengthened.

Creating and embedding cultural improvements wasn’t just about satisfying regulators. It was about setting a new standard that would endure.

Later this year, world-leading responsible gaming measures will be implemented to help guests play within their means. From December 2025, every player using an electronic gaming machine will set time and loss limits, ensuring they do not gamble more than they intend.

At Crown, our work continues.

It’s often said turning 40 is a coming-of-age moment and that is certainly true for Crown Perth.

As we reflect on this milestone, we do so with humility and gratitude — and we face the future stronger, wiser and safer — knowing the best is yet to come.

For 40 years, Crown has proudly helped shape WA’s landscape, literally and figuratively.

And we are just getting started.

John Van Der Wielen is the chairman of Crown Perth