• Crown Casino Good Friday Opening Hours Christmas Eve
• Crown Casino Good Friday Opening Hours Today

Gaming regulators have forced Crown Resorts to delay the opening of a new $2.4billion casino in Sydney, as the trading of Crown shares are suspended.

The chairman of NSW Liquor and Gaming on Wednesday afternoon formally requested that Crown postpone the launch of the new flagship Barangaroo facility, originally planned for December 14.

The future of the casino hangs in the balance as a long-running ILGA inquiry continues to hear damning arguments and evidence about Crown's fitness to run the new venue.

Chairman Phillip Crawford told reporters at a press conference the decision was made due to 'extremely concerning ongoing evidence' uncovered at the inquiry.

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'We are hopeful that Crown Resorts will agree to our request to postpone opening of all gaming activities, which would be unable to begin without approval of these regulatory matters,' he said.

'The authority has found ongoing evidence before the Bergin Inquiry to be extremely concerning, that any gaming activity at the casino before the Inquiry's findings are released in February 2021.'

He added that delays were requested being regulatory approvals have been delayed - without which the casino cannot open.

The regulator suggested a 'limited opening' of the hotel and bar, but Mr Crawford said Crown refused the offer.

Crown said it had asked for the trading halt because it had received a letter from ILGA about the opening date of Crown Sydney.

'Unless ASX decides otherwise, the securities will remain in trading halt until the earlier of the commencement of normal trading on Friday, 20 November 2020 or when the announcement is released to the market,' the Crown statement said.

The inquiry commissioner Patricia Bergin will make recommendations in February about whether Crown is suitable to run the casino.

Video: ILGA 'not comfortable' with Crown commencing gaming operations (ABC NEWS)

Crown's lawyers made a bombshell admission to the inquiry on Wednesday morning that money was likely laundered through its bank accounts, but insist the company is still fit to run the casino.

Crown's barrister Robert Craig SC admitted in closing submissions that it was more likely than not that two of the company's bank accounts had been used for money laundering, pointing to two expert reports the company commissioned.

The Riverbank and Southbank accounts have been a key focus of the inquiry after media reports alleged they were used to launder dirty cash.

Banks repeatedly closed the accounts because of money laundering fears, but those fears were not escalated to the board.

Ms Bergin expressed frustration at Crown for serving the expert reports at 11pm on Tuesday, saying it was a problem they arrived 'in the middle of the night' and with no notice, and after counsel assisting the inquiry had questioned multiple witnesses about the accounts.

Mr Craig admitted the company should have reviewed the bank accounts sooner.

Crown also admitted to shortcomings and mistakes in its anti-money laundering processes, but vowed it was cleaning up its act with a series of reforms, only some of which have come before its board.

Mr Craig advised Ms Bergin not to get 'bogged down' in the question of whether money laundering actually occurred, saying it was a distraction from the 'fundamental point' that large cash transactions should be deterred because they give rise to serious risks, and that Crown's new policies were directed to those risks.

Ms Bergin replied that the inquiry's terms of references demanded she consider whether money laundering happened.

Earlier on Wednesday, Crown counsel Neil Young QC denied that billionaire James Packer was a de facto director of Crown once he left the board.

'He was receiving some information and expressing some views, but that is a long way short of making actual operative decisions,' Mr Young said.

Mr Young argued that Crown could not be blamed for any flaws with an agreement by Mr Packer's privacy company to sell 19.99 per cent of its shares to Hong Kong firm Melco Resorts in May 2019.

The company did not know about the transaction and had no power to stop it, he said.

He vowed the relationship between Crown and its major shareholder, Mr Packer's private vehicle, would be 'stock standard' from now on, influencing the company only through its appointed directors.

Crown on Tuesday announced it would stop dealing with all junket operators, subject to consultation with gaming regulators in Victoria, Western Australia and NSW.

Counsel assisting the inquiry has recommended findings that Crown and Mr Packer are not presently fit to be associated with the new casino.

The inquiry continues.

As much as we try to get everything organised before the shops shut over Easter long weekend in Melbourne, there is often a thing or two we still need despite our best efforts! While Saturday is normally a regular trading day, you can find stores and establishments across the city to have various opening hours on the public holidays - aka the Friday, Sunday, and Monday.

And of course if you've got company coming or you just can't face serving a massive meal, why not go out for a bit of celebratory eating and drinking instead? Our city has got plenty of spots for you to do just that.

Quick shops

Plenty of 7-11s, service stations and corner stores will supply you with your forgotten bread and milk, extra bag of chips, or that newspaper you now have time to read. Check out what's closest to you. Major supermarkets will be closed on Good Friday, but Coles Express stores will be open.

Shopping centres

Major shopping centres, supermarkets and retail chains are usually open on Easter Monday, with restricted or no trading on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Queen Vic Market is running across the weekend except Monday, IGAs will mostly be trading, Chadstone, Eastland, Highpoint, Northland, Southland, Knox, Fountain Gate, Melbourne Central, and Pacific Epping will all be open (the stores inside may have different opening hours than regular): why not head out to one of these great playgrounds in shopping centres if the kids are getting a bit cabin-feverish?

Restaurants and Eateries

Something fancy? By all means! Head out to one or more of these eateries open across the Melbourne Easter weekend:

Mr and Mrs P, Cutler and Co, Arbory Bar and Eatery,Le Bon Ton, Agraba, Bay Street Grill & Pasta, Busbys Restaurant,Chur Burger, Da Peppe Trattoria, Ginger Leaf Thai (actually quite a few eateries will be open in Docklands, anywhere in the Crown Casino complex, and for super-special celebratory lunches, check out our 6 top picks here.

Pubs/Bottleshops

Usually (unless exempt), standard trading hours allow for venues with liquor licenses to serve alcohol from noon on Good Friday, with all bottle shops closed on that day.

Saturday onwards, you'll have better luck at ReWine Bar and Wineshop, Marquis of Lorne, The B.East, Builders Arms Hotel, The Alps Wine Shop and Bar, Pascale Bar and Grill in the QT Hotel, Clarinda Cellars, The Exford Hotel,The Railway has a 24/7 bottlo, Mr West in Footscray, Riversdale Hotel,and Dan Murphy's is usually open Easter Sunday,

You won't be short of a drop!

Cafes

Tons will be open right throughout the weekend (do check trading times for your favourite before you visit), and if there's any confusion, they're only a phone call away!

For starters, try Franks, Paper Fish for fish n chips, Belle's Hot Chicken, Top Paddock, Patch, Richmond Hill Cafe & Larder (check out our kid-friendly review here), Rocksalt Cafe, Short Black, Sweetwater, The Fifth Cafe, and of course Uber Eats will be doing a roaring trade!

Things to Do

Crown Casino Good Friday Opening Hours Christmas Eve

The Melbourne Easter Show, of course, go on an Easter Egg hunt, make a batch of Carrot Patch brownies, go to the movies, head out to Rippon Lea Estate for their Easter celebrations, Celebrate the religious aspects of Easter at the festival in Fed Square, visit the Hanging Rock Makers Market packed full of artisan goodies, Enjoy an Easter-themed Mad Hatter's High Tea at the Stamford Hotel, visit an adventure playground, pack everything up and have a picnic, go to the Aquarium, Melbourne Zoo, Eureka Sydeck, or head out to one of these amazing destination parks all across Melbourne. But remember - public holiday hours apply for all public transport, double-check here before you head out.

Crown Casino Good Friday Opening Hours Today

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