Crown Resorts has announced the appointment of David Tsai as permanent chief executive, after he stepped into the role on a temporary basis on 31 September, following the resignation of Ciarán Carruthers.
Carruthers confirmed he was stepping down as CEO in late August and is due to fully depart by 31 December. Tsai was appointed acting CEO of Crown with effect from 1 September. Now, Tsai will assume the role on a full-time basis, subject to relevant regulatory approvals.
An experienced executive, Tsai joined Crown in December 2022 as CEO of the Perth business. He went on to serve as president and group chief operating officer in August this year, prior to taking on the acting CEO role.
Before his time with Crown, Tsai spent almost three years as president of MGM Resorts’ Midwest Group. This followed spells as president and COO of both MGM Grand Detroit and MGM Northfield Park, as well as Gold Strike Casino Resort.
Other industry roles include senior vice president and chief financial officer of the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino and vice president of strategic development at Aria Resort and Casino.
In addition, an earlier spell with MGM saw him serve in several senior corporate positions within the group.
Crown chair back Tsai to lead continued transformation
Commenting on the appointment, Crown chair John Borghetti said he is pleased to welcome “such a talented executive” as CEO.
“David is a highly capable, proven and experienced integrated resorts executive,” Borghetti said. “He has clearly demonstrated his commercial and strategic ability. Together with his strong cultural and team values, David is well positioned to lead the continued transformation, growth and future success of Crown’s business.”
Tsai also spoke about his appointment as permanent CEO. He said his focus will be on the next phase of transformation and development at Crown.
“With the support of our talented and committed team, our goal is for Crown Resorts to be the ultimate entertainment destination in each of our cities, positioning Crown to thrive long into the future,” Tsai said.
Crown faces further regulatory action in Victoria
The appointment comes in the wake of Crown being handed another fine in the Australian state of Victoria.
Earlier this month, the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission fined Crown AU$2m (£1.0m/€1.2m/US$1.3m) for allowing self-excluded players to gamble. This, the regulator said, breached rules in the state.
An investigation found 242 people who had self-excluded were able to bet at Crown Melbourne on hundreds of separate occasions. Additionally, 427 self-excluded persons gained access to Crown in 750 instances.
