AUSTRAC investigating Australia's three biggest casino operators

Crown Resorts announced on Monday that AUSTRAC has initiated a formal enforcement investigation into the compliance of Crown Perth with the Australian Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism (AML/CTF) Act.

But Crown is not alone with the anti-money-laundering agency widening its investigation to encompass Australia's three biggest casino operators, suggesting possible breaches of background check rules at rival Star Entertainment Group and New Zealand's SkyCity Entertainment Group. The National Australia Bank is also under investigation.

Crown shares fell by 1.6 per cent and SkyCity by 6.4 per cent on the back of the announcements.

On the same day, Crown Melbourne's Crown Towers Hotel announced that it took payment from international guests via debit or credit cards for gaming, between 2012 and 2016, contravening the Casino Control Act to the tune of more than $160 million.

The Act prohibits 'the hotel card process' in which operators provide money or chips in for the purpose of gaming or betting as a part of a transaction involving a credit or a debit card.

Crown Resorts says it has notified the VCGLR and the Victorian Royal Commission