Mr Packer, through lawyers, has insisted he played only a "passive" role in the events described in the investigation. Loading Crown in a statement said it would "fully cooperate" with the NSW regulator's inquiry. The ILGA said the inquiry was to ensure Crown's soon-to-be-completed VIP casino in Sydney's harbourside Barangaroo precinct, due for completion in 2021, would be "free from criminal influence or exploitation", and that gaming in the casino was "conducted honestly". Ms Bergin is a former NSW Supreme Court judge who, since retiring from the court in 2017 has served as judge in the Singapore International Commercial Court.

The inquiry will take evidence in public, and also be able to conduct hearings in private to take confidential information from police, with powers similar to a Royal Commission. Under the NSW legislation, the regulator can require people to answer questions and provide information and documents. Provisions of the act make it clear that, "self-incrimination is not an excuse", though that information cannot necessarily be used against them in a court. The Authority has issued notices to relevant Crown parties and other parties compulsorily seeking documents and information. Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority statement In an aggressive push to recruit wealthy high-roller gamblers from mainland China, Crown struck a series of partnerships with tour companies, known as junket operators, who specialise in marketing overseas casinos in China to high-stakes punters. While some operators are legitimate, others which Crown partnered with had ties to Asian triad societies and other persons of interest to Australian law enforcement on allegations of money laundering, drug running and human trafficking. Victoria’s gaming minister last week ordered the state regulator to conduct an investigation into the revelations “as a matter of urgency”, while the Morrison government has ordered an inquiry into the conduct of Commonwealth public servants amid revelations Crown staff were instructed to contact certain visa offices known to have softer vetting procedures in order to fast-track applications for Chinese high-roller visitors.

Australia’s peak criminal intelligence agency, the Australian Criminal intelligence Commission, last week also revealed it was probing the infiltration of organised crime in Australian casinos through junket operators. The NSW watchdog's latest inquiry stemmed from probity concerns as officials believed they should have been consulted about the sale of Mr Packer's sale of a 20 per cent take in Crown to Mr Ho's Mr Ho's Melco Resorts for $1.7 billion, which was announced on May 31. Loading Its concerns about the transaction widened in light of recent media reports, the regulator said. "The Authority is inquiring into this transaction under section 35 of the Act together with various matters raised in recent media reports published by the Nine Network, the Sydney Morning Herald and the Melbourne Age relating to Crown Resorts," the ILGA said in a statement.