In a sharp and highly personal rebuke, Australian billionaire James Packer has delivered one of his most forceful public critiques to date, accusing state regulators and former Victorian premier Daniel Andrews of inflicting deep and lasting harm on Australia’s casino sector. Speaking in an extensive interview with Rampart, Packer revisited the controversies that engulfed Crown Resorts—once the centerpiece of his business empire—and argued that the regulatory fallout has devastated the industry while leaving key officials unaccountable.

Packer reserved some of his strongest language for Philip Crawford, the chief commissioner of the NSW Independent Casino Commission. Crawford previously chaired Liquor & Gaming NSW and oversaw regulatory responses during pivotal investigations into both Crown and its competitor, Star Entertainment.

“It’s one of the miracles of life that Philip Crawford’s got a job,” Packer said, claiming regulators were far slower to scrutinize Star despite major compliance failures that later surfaced. He pointed to the extensive charges Star now faces, contrasting them with the lack of prosecution against Crown’s board. “Star was behaving far worse than Crown ever behaved, and that’s been proven out by the fact that [the Australian Securities and Investments Commission] never laid any charges. Star’s got charges from ASIC up the wazoo.”

Crawford has previously pushed back on claims that his agency overlooked misconduct, insisting that casino operators went to great lengths to hide wrongdoing. “They went to great lengths to hide stuff from us and tell things that were not true,” he said last year. according to Financial Review. “I’m not going to be lined up about the fact that we didn’t do our job at the time. Some people have tried to raise that – it’s total crap.”

Multiple government inquiries—triggered by investigative reporting from The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald—ultimately found widespread failures at both Crown and Star. In Crown’s case, inquiries across three states concluded that the company had enabled money laundering and maintained unethical business practices, leading to a finding that Packer himself was unfit to hold a casino license.

A Bitter Accusation Against Daniel Andrews

Packer’s most pointed frustration, however, centered on Andrews, whom he blames for upending a key tax agreement at a critical moment. The former premier approved new tax arrangements for Crown Melbourne just weeks before Blackstone finalized its AU$8.9 billion acquisition of the company—an action Packer claims stripped roughly AU$50 million in earnings without compensation.

“Daniel Andrews is about my least favourite person in the world. I think Daniel Andrews not only ruined Victoria, he almost ruined my life,” Packer said. He added that the abrupt tax change nearly derailed the takeover. “It’s a miracle that Blackstone didn’t activate the material adverse change clause.”

The roots of the dispute trace back to a 2015 agreement that outlined future tax adjustments for poker machines and junket operations. Packer argued that Andrews’ reversal violated the deal’s compensation clause, which would have required the government to pay 12 times any profit reduction. The premier’s decision came after the Finkelstein Royal Commission declared Crown unsuitable to operate without significant reform, prompting regulators to insist that Packer sell his 36.8 percent stake.

Packer described Andrews in explosive terms throughout the interview, including: “I think he’s human filth … I hope he sues me.”

Industry Fallout and Packer’s Exit

Following the inquiries and tightening of gaming rules, Australian casinos have struggled under stricter compliance obligations, including cash limits and mandatory carded play. Packer argued that these rules have pushed illegal activity to pubs and clubs, which face fewer restrictions. “I think it’s outrageous what’s happening to the casinos in Australia. The pubs and the clubs are booming,” he said.

He emphasized that casinos pay large sums for licenses precisely to operate under a different framework: “Casino operators pay hundreds of millions of dollars to get their licences in the first place … Now you have a situation where cash can’t be used in the casinos, and cash is used in the pubs and the clubs.”

Despite the bitterness, Packer acknowledged that the timing of the 2022 Blackstone deal ultimately benefited him financially. The company’s profitability has since declined due to regulatory sanctions and a slowdown in high-roller business from China. Packer also reflected on his own missteps, including Crown’s decision to run newspaper ads attacking investigative reporting in 2019. “At the end of the day, it’s my fault,” he said, explaining that his trust in Crown’s management had been misplaced.

Now living outside the industry, Packer said he has focused on improving his mental health and sobriety. “I’ve got a good psychologist, a good psychiatrist, and I’m working with them. And I think I’m … one of the luckiest people in the world.”