Perth Casino Royal Commission: Gaming and Wagering Commission boss backed Michael Connolly’s fishing trips

The former head of WA’s casino regulator has admitted he knew at least six years ago about the close fishing friendships between the State’s Chief Casino Officer and senior members of Crown’s legal and compliance team. Barry Sargeant, who was long-time chairman of WA’s Gaming and Wagering Commission until 2017, was the second witness at the Perth Casino Royal Commission — called following the damning findings of a similar inquiry into the workings of Crown in Sydney and Melbourne. After telling the hearing he had little gambling or gaming experience when he took up the job in 1992 — similar to the man who succeeded him Duncan Ord — he was taken through what he did learn over his years chairing the GWC. He told of conferences in Australia and oversea he attended regularly to keep up with the buzz topics in casino oversight. Mr Sargeant described latter day on-site visits to see how the casino worked himself – which included seeing how the “cash count” was done, and viewings of the “catwalks” which were used to watch over the gaming floor before CCTV became common place. He was also asked about his working relationship with former Chief Casino Officer Michael Connolly. Mr Connolly stepped aside earlier this year after his close friendships with Crown manager of gaming and regulatory compliance Paul Hulme and Crown general manager of legal and compliance Claude Marais were publicly revealed. Mr Sargeant told the royal commission he first became aware of the relationship with Mr Hulme in either 2014 and 2015 – when he told him about their fishing trips. “He had raised with me that this gentleman had been out with a fishing scenario, and I understand there might have been some help with Mr Marais buying a boat,” “I didn’t see Mr Marais as an individual who was in the area of decision making – oversight of the casino. “Secondly I wasn’t aware that there was any obligation he had to Mr Marais. “In my considered opinion at the time, I didn’t think there was a conflict of interest and I said I was happy to endorse it.” Mr Sargeant said one of the directors in his department questioned that call — and he still think he made the right one. “I didn’t think there was an ability for Mr Marais to influence Mr Connolly — if you look at it now, and what we now know, I may have erred in that regard. But I didn’t see it as a conflict of interest. “And I think most members of the GWC that Mr Connolly never showed any bias or favour towards Crown.” Mr Sargeant said the other friendship had begun Mr Hulme worked with the department and then went to work for Crown. “He never raised that with an issue with me and I never pursued it,” Mr Sargeant said. In finishing his evidence, current GWC chairman Duncan Ord told the commissioners that he believed Mr Connolly was a “stickler” for the boundaries around his position. “He never withheld in my sense anything that would give me belief that he was trying to hide any of those type of relationship,” Mr Ord said. “He also was a great stickler about the boundary around his particular role — he was constantly reminding me that he had to protect his role as a regulator. “I had a high degree of confidence in him.”