Last Australian Crown Resorts employee released from Chinese jail

The last Australian Crown Resorts staff member detained in Shanghai for gambling-related offences has been released.

Head of VIP operations Jason O’Connor has been released over the weekend, putting an end to the 10-month long legal saga.

O’Connor was released from Shanghai No 1 Detention Centre in the early hours of Saturday morning, according to a prison guard.

Crown’s executive chairman John Alexander said Crown Resorts is “very pleased” that its employees can finally go home.

“Crown is deeply appreciative of the support provided by our legal counsel over the last few months and thanks the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Australian Government for their professionalism and assistance,” Alexander said in a media release.

“Mr O’Connor is the last of three Australian Crown employees to be released following completion of their sentences,” Foreign Minister Julie Bishop told the Sydney Morning Herald.

O’Connor received an additional deportation penalty on top of his original sentence.

In China, when a foreigner is sentenced to deportation as a supplemental penalty following a prison term “the foreigner shall be escorted by prison officers, guarding armed police and foreign affairs police… and may be handcuffed if necessary”.

“Personnel executing a deportation shall monitor the means of transportation for the foreigner has released and shall not leave the premises until s/he has boarded and departed,” Chinese regulations state.

O’Connor was among the 19 detained in China in October last year for gambling-related crimes, with three junior staff released in November.

The remaining 16 were detained in a Shanghai prison which has strict rules, including a ban on passing notes in English and private discussions with lawyers.

The entire group faced trial in June, with 11 sentenced to jail and fined, while five others received fines, for illegally promoting gambling in mainland China where the activity is banned.

Chinese mainland junket facilitators source clients and deliver them to Crown Resorts venues in return for a cut. But Crown cut out the middle man to aggressively target Chinese nationals, which only put a target on their back.

The prison penalties ranged from nine to 10 months including time served, with three other Australians released last month.

O’Connor received the heftiest sentence of 10 months including time served, along with four other employees.

O’Connor was not present during the raids last year. Instead, he was picked up by authorities on the way to the airport.

GamePlan Consultants founder, Sudhir Kale, said O’Connors release marks “the end of a long and arduous journey for Crown.”

“The company has well and truly paid its dues by way of fines, huge legal costs, drop in market capitalisation, and the emotional trauma experienced by its employees while in prison,” he added.

Following the incident, Crown Resorts has sold its remaining stake in its Macau joint venture, Melco Crown. It has also closed the majority of its offices across Asia.

The repositioning ensured the 49 percent slump in VIP revenue recorded in its June 30 results was alleviated.

“Other operators have learnt from Crown’s example, and their marketing efforts in China will be a lot more sedate,” Kale said.