图片来源：视觉中国

　　6月13日，澳大利亚皇冠度假酒店集团（Crown Resorts）发布声明，去年在中国被扣留的该公司员工已经被正式起诉，这场在博彩行业引起轩然大波的事件有了最新进展。

　　皇冠度假是澳大利亚最大的度假和博彩公司，它的大股东是亿万富翁詹姆斯·派克（James Packer），它的另外一个称号是“澳洲赌王”。2016年10月17日，皇冠度假酒店集团发表声明，表示18名公司员工被中国政府拘留，其中包括负责国际VIP客户的副总裁Jason O‘ Connor。

　　皇冠度假酒店集团周二在声明中称，无论是被拘留的，还是已经被保释的员工都因涉嫌宣传赌博被起诉。声明称，案件已移交上海宝山区法院审理。

　　在中国，除了澳门特别行政区之外，聚众赌博或者是开设赌场都被严令禁止，但一些博彩公司会使用其他看似巧妙的方法迂回地吸引顾客。赌博广告通常着重宣传度假别墅和豪华餐宴，之后略微提及通过邀请方可进入的赌场。

　　根据《纽约时报》的报道，皇冠度假在中国有一个办事处，与客人见面时，皇冠员工通常会抛出免费住宿和高信贷额度的诱饵。在中国大陆，皇冠和其他一些博彩企业的高管经常应客户的要求前往与之见面。

　　“拘留”事件发生之后不久，澳大利亚和新西兰的一些赌场运营商表示，他们的VIP客户出现下滑。过去几年，国外的赌场越来越依赖中国的客源，而中国政府的反腐行动也让很多博彩运营商的生意受到挑战。

　　发生拘留事件之后，皇冠集团欲将业务重心从全球转回至澳洲本土的运营上。

　　去年年底，皇冠度假集团大股东James Packer将所持有的新濠博亚娱乐（Melco Crown Entertainment）的股份以11.6亿美元的交易价格出售给了新濠国际发展，后者因此成为新濠博亚的单一大股东。新濠博亚娱乐在中国澳门经营多个赌场。

　　皇冠度假酒店集团表示，鉴于此事正由法院审理，目前不便发表更多评论。

Australia's Crown Resorts staff sentenced to jail in China for gambling crimes

Nineteen pleaded guilty, including three Australians – Jason O’Connor, Jerry Xuan and Pan Dan – who were jailed for less than a year, including time served

By Benjamin Haasand agencies

Nineteen Crown Resorts staff, including three Australians, have pleaded guilty to “gambling crimes” in a trial that lasted only a few hours at Shanghai’s Baoshan district people’s court.

Australian Jason O’Connor was sentenced to 10 months in jail and compatriots Jerry Xuan and Pan Dan each received nine months. All 19 have been detained since October, and their sentences will reflect time served.

Crown Resorts said in a statement to the ASX that 17 current and two former employees were convicted under article 303 and 25 of Chinese criminal law, which relate to deriving profit from gambling as a main income and organising gambling parties.

Sixteen of the 19 defendants were fined a total of 8.62m yuan (A$1.67m), which Crown said it would pay. It added: “Crown remains respectful of the sovereign jurisdiction of the People’s Republic of China and does not intend to comment further at this time.”

Casino gambling and promoting gambling is banned in China. Organising a group of more than 10 Chinese for gambling trips is also illegal, although businesses often skirt these rules by offering tour packages instead. The former Portuguese colony of Macau is the only place on Chinese soil where casino gambling is permitted.

The employees were taken into custody by Chinese authorities last October and charged earlier this month. Three employees were bailed while the rest remained in detention.

A Crown Resorts media spokeswoman said the company would make no comment on Monday, but might release a statement later in the week.

China is in the midst of a crackdown on the promotion of gambling on the island of Macau, where Crown’s joint venture hosted businessmen, officials and high rollers from the mainland.

For several years, foreign casinos have been engaged in an increasingly high-stakes race to lure the lucrative Chinese VIP market, skirting Chinese law that strictly forbids the promotion of gambling.

Since the detentions, Crown has scaled back its Chinese ambitions, selling down its stake in the Macau-based joint venture Melco Crown, before offloading its final stake in Melco Resorts & Entertainment for $987m.

The James Packer-controlled gambling giant has also faced a number of changes with chief executive Rowen Craigie departing in February and director and former chairman Robert Rankin stepping down from the board.

Crown Resorts shares fell to a year-low of $9.71 following the detentions in October, but were trading at $12.65 up 0.79% at Friday’s close.

The Shanghai Baoshan district people’s court confirmed to the Guardian that five crown staff, including Jason O’Connor, have been given 10-month sentences. Another 11 defendants have been sentenced to nine months. The verdict will take into effect in 10 days.

With Australian Associated Press