Crown Casino
Encyclopedia
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
and entertainment precinct located on the south bank of the Yarra River
Yarra River
The Yarra River, originally Birrarung, is a river in east-central Victoria, Australia. The lower stretches of the river is where the city of Melbourne was established in 1835 and today Greater Melbourne dominates and influences the landscape of its lower reaches...
, in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Crown Casino is a unit of Crown Limited
Crown Limited
Crown Limited is one of Australia's largest gaming and entertainment groups. At June 2010, Crown Limited had a market capitalisation of just over A$6 billion and accounted for 27.53% of the S&P/ASX 200 Hotels Restaurants & Leisure Industry Group....
.
Crown's current casino complex opened in 1997, after moving from its original location from 1994 on the north bank of the Yarra. It is one of the central features of the Southbank
Southbank, Victoria
Southbank is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia located direct south of the Yarra River opposite Melbourne's Hoddle Grid. The northernmost area is considered part of the Central Business District and Central Activities District of the city. Its Local Government Area are the...
area in the central business district and the Crown Promenade fronts onto the waterfront as part of Southbank Promenade. Children under 18 are permitted into the entertainment section of complex, but not into the gaming area or areas serving alcohol. The entire complex has a space of 510,000 m² which is equivalent to 2 city block
City block
A city block, urban block or simply block is a central element of urban planning and urban design. A city block is the smallest area that is surrounded by streets. City blocks are the space for buildings within the street pattern of a city, they form the basic unit of a city's urban fabric...
s, making it the largest casino complex in the Southern Hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
and one of the largest in the world.
Casino
Crown Casino opened in 1994 at the World Trade Centre on the north bank of the Yarra River, moving to the new complex at Southbank in 1997. Actress Rachel GriffithsRachel Griffiths
Rachel Anne Griffiths is an Australian film and television actress who came to prominence in the 1994 film Muriel's Wedding and her Academy Award nominated performance in the 1997 film Hilary and Jackie....
infamously ran through the casino topless on its opening night. It is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week except on Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
Day, Good Friday
Good Friday
Good Friday , is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. The holiday is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and may coincide with the Jewish observance of...
and Anzac Day
ANZAC Day
Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand, commemorated by both countries on 25 April every year to honour the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who fought at Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. It now more broadly commemorates all...
. It was originally founded, owned and run by Lloyd Williams
Lloyd Williams(Australian Businessman)
Lloyd J. Williams is a high profile Australian property developer and businessman and a major figure in Thoroughbred horse racing. He was educated at Xavier College, Melbourne....
until the Packer
Kerry Packer
Kerry Francis Bullmore Packer, AC was an Australian media tycoon. The son of Sir Frank Packer and Gretel Bullmore, the Packer family company owned controlling interest in both the Nine television network and leading Australian publishing company Australian Consolidated Press, which were later...
takeover by PBL in 1999. Crown Casino is the largest casino in the southern hemisphere and has a license for 350 table games and 2,500 poker machines.
The regulator overseeing the Casino's activities, and to whom grievances can be addressed to is the Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation
Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation
The Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation is the gambling regulator in the Australian state of Victoria. The VCGR is part of the Victorian Department of Justice....
. Amongst its rules, which are not published by Crown Casino, is the unknown requirement that "If a player does not want to play out any remaining credits on a gaming machine that amount to less than $1.00, the casino operator must not refuse to make a manual or ‘hand’ payment of the credits to the player". Its staff have been known to illegally compel a player to waste the balance of any credit which are not divisible by $1.
Games
Amongst other games, Crown provides the 6 main casino games of BlackjackBlackjack
Blackjack, also known as Twenty-one or Vingt-et-un , is the most widely played casino banking game in the world...
, Craps
Craps
Craps is a dice game in which players place wagers on the outcome of the roll, or a series of rolls, of a pair of dice. Players may wager money against each other or a bank...
, Pai Gow
Pai Gow
Pai gow is a Chinese gambling game, played with a set of Chinese dominoes. Pai gow is played in unsanctioned casinos in most Chinese communities...
, Poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
, Baccarat
Baccarat
Baccarat is a card game, played at casinos and by gamblers. It is believed to have been introduced into France from Italy during the reign of King Charles VIII , and it is similar to Faro and Basset...
and Roulette
Roulette
Roulette is a casino game named after a French diminutive for little wheel. In the game, players may choose to place bets on either a single number or a range of numbers, the colors red or black, or whether the number is odd or even....
(American version) but it was also the first to introduce an electronic version of Roulette known as Rapid Roulette
Rapid Roulette
Rapid Roulette is an Irish quiz show produced by RTÉ between 30 September 1986 and 6 March 1990. Presented by Maurie Taylor and subsequently by Maxi , the show saw four players answer general knowledge questions with the winner going on to spin a roulette wheel to win cash prizes....
. Rapid Roulette is essentially the same as traditional roulette but rather than players placing bets on a layout, all gaming takes place on a personal electronic touch screen connected to a central roulette wheel. The purpose of this is to provide the player with easy access to the entire betting layout. Rapid Roulette has been in use for several years, and recently Rapid Bigwheel, Rapid Sic-bo and Rapid Baccarat have been developed.
As well as 3 Card Poker on the main gaming floor, Crown has also offers varieties of poker including Texas Hold'em. The Crown Poker Room encompasses a large separate space in the Crown basement.
Crown casino has 2,500 poker machines on the casino floor, with values of 1 cent, 2 cent, 4 cent, 5 cent, 10 cent, 20 Cent, 50 cent and 1 dollar available. There are also very few 5 dollar machines located in the VIP areas. Slot machines at Crown are made by Aristocrat, AGT
AGT
AGT may refer to:*A Global Threat, a Boston-based street punk band*Adventure Game Toolkit, software that supports the development of adventure games*AGT-1500, M1 Abrams tank engine*Agaritine, a hydrazine derivative...
, IGT
IGT
IGT may refer to:*Impaired glucose tolerance, a term associated with diabetes* Interlinear Glossed Text, a structured representation language text in various forms...
, Konami
Konami
is a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
and Stargames
StarGames
Created by Jerry Solomon in 1994, StarGames, LLC is a sports marketing, management and entertainment company based outside of Boston, Massachusetts....
.
Government oversight
The regulator overseeing the Casino's activities, and to whom grievances can be addressed, is the Victorian Commission for Gambling RegulationVictorian Commission for Gambling Regulation
The Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation is the gambling regulator in the Australian state of Victoria. The VCGR is part of the Victorian Department of Justice....
. The VCGR regularly monitors the casino's operations to ensure Crown conforms to Victorian Gambling laws. Crown has been repeatedly charged and fined for minor breaches of the Casino Control Act 1991.
Rewards programs
The Crown Entertainment Complex launched a complex-wide rewards program called "Signature Club" on October 1, 2009. Signature Club members earn points on every dollar spent at most outlets within the Crown complex (including bars, clubs, hotels, restaurants, gaming, shopping and spa). Points are redeemed for goods and services within the complex. The amount of points earned is used to determine Signature Club tier levels (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and Black), with each tier rewarding members with different discounts, offers and entrance to varying VIP areas throughout the complex.Entertainment complex
The Crown Entertainment Complex incorporates several nightclubs, a Village CinemaVillage Cinemas
Village Cinemas is an Australian cinema chain. Its Australian sites are owned and operated by Village Roadshow-Amalgamated Holdings Limited joint venture Australian Theatres. The group has rebranded several of its premier Australian and New Zealand cinemas as Event Cinemas since 2009. Village...
complex and multiple restaurants, fast food outlets, food courts and shops. The complex also houses "Galactic Circus", an electronic games arcade, laser 'tag' game and bowling alley. Notable features of the casino include its entrance (commonly known as the 'Atrium', featuring stepped fountains and sound/light shows under the themes of the four seasons), and pyrotechnic towers running the length of the Casino promenade. The Casino is home to many luxury stores including:
- PradaPradaPrada S.p.A. is an Italian fashion label specializing in luxury goods for men and women , founded by Mario Prada.-Foundations:...
- BurberryBurberryBurberry Group plc is a British luxury fashion house, manufacturing clothing, fragrance, and fashion accessories. Its distinctive tartan pattern has become one of its most widely copied trademarks. Burberry is most famous for its iconic trench coat, which was invented by founder Thomas Burberry...
- Louis VuittonLouis VuittonLouis Vuitton Malletier – commonly referred to as Louis Vuitton , or shortened to LV – is a French fashion house founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton. The label is well known for its LV monogram, which is featured on most products, ranging from luxury trunks and leather goods to ready-to-wear, shoes,...
- VersaceVersaceGianni Versace S.p.A. , usually referred to as Versace, is an Italian fashion label founded by Gianni Versace in 1978.The first Versace boutique was opened in Milan's Via della Spiga in 1978, and its popularity was immediate. Today, Versace is one of the world's leading international fashion houses...
Hotels
Crown is home to 3 Hotel towers. Each targeting different demographics.Crown Towers
Crown's 5-star Luxury hotel is "Crown Towers" which is located within Crown Entertainment Complex. It houses 481 rooms & Villas over 38 floors. Located on the banks of the Yarra River
Yarra River
The Yarra River, originally Birrarung, is a river in east-central Victoria, Australia. The lower stretches of the river is where the city of Melbourne was established in 1835 and today Greater Melbourne dominates and influences the landscape of its lower reaches...
it overlooks the city centre, Kings Domain, Port Phillip
Port Phillip
Port Phillip Port Phillip Port Phillip (also commonly referred to as Port Phillip Bay or (locally) just The Bay, is a large bay in southern Victoria, Australia; it is the location of Melbourne. Geographically, the bay covers and the shore stretches roughly . Although it is extremely shallow for...
and Docklands
Melbourne Docklands
Docklands is an inner city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia occupying an area extending up to 2 km west of and adjacent to Melbourne's Central Business District . Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne...
. 31 Villas offer guest unparralled opluence and grandeur exceeding any premium accommodaiton in the world. Crown Towers houses the largest villa in the Southern Hemisphere spanning an entire floor. Crown Towers also has the largest contingent of butlers in Australia
Crown Metropol
It is Australia's largest hotel by number of rooms. This 5-star hotel houses 658 rooms across 28 floors. It also houses Australia's first residential Spa on level 27. Like Promenade, Metropol is connected with the Crown Entertainment Complex by a pedestrian overpass passing over Whiteman Street.
Crown Promenade
Offering 465 rooms on 23 floors. It is located on the block behind Crown Towers and is connected to the main complex by a pedestrian overpass across Whiteman Street. A lesiure and corporate hotel Crown Promenade also houses Australias only purpose built hotel conference facility the Crown Conference Centre.
Notable Guests at Crown Towers
Notable guests at the Crown Towers have included Tom CruiseTom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards....
, Katie Holmes
Katie Holmes
Katherine Noelle "Katie" Holmes is an American actress who first achieved fame for her role as Joey Potter on The WB television teen drama Dawson's Creek from 1998 to 2003. Her movie roles have included the blockbuster Batman Begins along with art house films such as The Ice Storm and thrillers...
, Rachel Griffiths
Rachel Griffiths
Rachel Anne Griffiths is an Australian film and television actress who came to prominence in the 1994 film Muriel's Wedding and her Academy Award nominated performance in the 1997 film Hilary and Jackie....
, Kerry Packer
Kerry Packer
Kerry Francis Bullmore Packer, AC was an Australian media tycoon. The son of Sir Frank Packer and Gretel Bullmore, the Packer family company owned controlling interest in both the Nine television network and leading Australian publishing company Australian Consolidated Press, which were later...
, Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No...
and Neil Murray
Neil Murray (Australian musician)
Neil Murray is an Australian musician and writer. He was a founding member of the Warumpi Band that formed in the early 1980s, the first major Aboriginal rock group and influential Aboriginal rock band.-Biography:...
and many other high profile celebrities and politicians.
The Palladium Room
The Palladium at Crown is Melbourne's grandest ballroomBallroom
A ballroom is a large room inside a building, the designated purpose of which is holding formal dances called balls. Traditionally, most balls were held in private residences; many mansions contain one or more ballrooms...
, with a seating capacity of 1,500 it has played host to some of Australia's premier functions including the annual TV Week Logie Awards, Brownlow Medal
Brownlow Medal
The Chas Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal , is awarded to the "fairest and best" player in the Australian Football League during the regular season as determined by votes cast by the officiating field umpires after each game...
, Allan Border Medal
Allan Border Medal
The Allan Border Medal is considered to be the biggest individual prize in Australian cricket. First awarded in 2000, the medal is named after former Australian captain Allan Border and recognises the most outstanding Australian cricketer of the past season as voted by his peers, the media and...
and the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix ball.
Water features
Water features appear both inside and outside the Crown casino complex. They include the Seasons of Fortune, Southern Porte Cochere, Revelry, Brigades and Celebration.Water veneers the textured granite faces of six towers that are located on a promenade at the Crown Casino along the Yarra River in Melbourne, Australia.
At night, spheres of fire issue at choreographed intervals from the tops of the towers. Nine feet in diameter, these pyrotechnics have become an iconic part of Melbourne's nightlife.