Crown Resorts, the biggest owner and operator of land-based casinos in Australia, has announced that it will close one of the two VIP gaming floors at its Sydney casino and lay off 95 staff.
The company noted that the measure is “temporary” and that it will commence a voluntary redundancy program in order to lay off the 95 employees due to “macroeconomic challenges.”
The gaming room that will be closed is the so-called “Mahogany Room” and all customers will be directed to the “Crystal Room” for the time being. A spokesperson for The Blackstone Group, the company that acquired Crown Resorts in 2022, declared that the decision to “consolidate” the two VIP casino floors in Sydney comes as a response “to the current macroeconomic challenges facing the gaming industry.”
The Blackstone Group spokesperson added that the company will work together with the employees and their union to hopefully place as many of the laid off employees as possible in other roles.
In fact, it seems that staff impacted by this decision will be given the chance to relocate at one of the two other casinos owned by the company, Crown Melbourne or Crown Perth. “Our priority is to support our people through this process, and manage these changes with care and respect,” the spokesperson added.