Crown Melbourne: Australia's biggest casino resort — where it is, how to get there, the games and the licence

Crown Melbourne, on the south bank of the Yarra, is Victoria's only casino and one of the largest casino resorts in the southern hemisphere. For a site about licensing it is a fascinating case: in 2021 a Royal Commission found the operator unsuitable to hold its licence — and yet it kept it. This guide covers what a visitor needs to know and what happened to the licence.

At a glance

Address	8 Whiteman Street, Southbank VIC 3006, Melbourne, Australia
Opening hours	24/7, except Christmas Day, Good Friday and ANZAC Day (closed 4am–12pm)
Minimum age	18
Licence holder	Crown Melbourne Limited (part of Crown Resorts, owned by Blackstone funds since June 2022)
Regulator	Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC)
Licence	Victoria's only casino licence, held since 1993, running to 2050
Online casino	None — online casino games are illegal in Australia

What it is

Crown opened a temporary casino in 1994 and moved into its permanent Southbank complex in 1997. Today the resort has three hotels — Crown Towers, Crown Metropol and Crown Promenade — plus restaurants, bars, a poker room and a long riverside promenade that is being redeveloped with more than 15 new venues due by 2027.

Where it is and entry rules

The complex sits on the Southbank riverfront, across the Yarra from Flinders Street Station. No one under 18 may enter or stay in the casino. The dress code is smart casual: shoes are required, and torn or dirty clothing, offensive slogans, camouflage, active sportswear, work boots and ugg boots are not allowed. Bring photo ID: under Victorian law you must be identified before playing or collecting winnings over A$1,000.

How to get there

From the UK

There are no non-stop flights from London to Melbourne. Typical one-stop routes go via Perth, Singapore, Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi, with a total journey of roughly 22–26 hours. Schedules change, so check your route with the airline before booking.

From Melbourne Airport

The SkyBus Melbourne City Express runs from the airport terminals to Southern Cross Station, usually around 30–40 minutes depending on traffic (check skybus.com.au). From Southern Cross, Crown is a short walk or tram ride.

Around the city

Trams on routes 96, 109 and 12 stop on Clarendon Street by the main complex; route 58 stops on Queens Bridge Street near Crown Towers. Check routes with Public Transport Victoria before you travel.

What you can play

Table games: baccarat in several versions, roulette, blackjack, craps, sic bo, pai gow, Three Card Poker and Big Wheel.
Electronic tables: automated roulette, baccarat, sic bo and blackjack.
Gaming machines: the licence allows up to 2,628 machines; since December 2023 they can only be played with a player card and pre-set limits.
Poker: Crown Poker runs cash games and tournaments, and the Aussie Millions festival returned in 2026.

The licence allows up to 440 gaming tables plus 100 poker tables; we could not find an official figure for how many are open at any one time.

Is there an online version?

No. Australia's Interactive Gambling Act 2001 makes it illegal to offer online casino games to people in Australia, and Crown does not run an online casino. In 2026 Crown relaunched the CrownBet brand, but that is a sports and racing betting service for Australia only, not a casino. Crown holds no UK Gambling Commission licence, so there is nothing from Crown that is licensed for players in Britain — and we do not link to any Crown site.

The licence: from Royal Commission to "suitable"

In October 2021 a Royal Commission led by Ray Finkelstein found Crown Melbourne unsuitable to hold its licence, describing conduct that was illegal, dishonest, unethical and exploitative. Rather than cancel the licence, the Victorian government appointed a Special Manager to oversee a two-year clean-up, created a new regulator — the VGCCC — and raised the maximum fine under the Casino Control Act from A$1 million to A$100 million.

The penalties that followed were among the largest in Australian gambling history: A$80 million over China UnionPay transactions and a record A$120 million over responsible gambling failures (both 2022), A$30 million over bank cheques and A$20 million over casino tax (2023), and a A$450 million penalty ordered by the Federal Court in 2023 in proceedings brought by the anti-money-laundering agency AUSTRAC against Crown Melbourne and Crown Perth together.

In March 2024 the VGCCC said it was clearly satisfied that Crown Melbourne was now suitable to keep its licence, subject to a supervised transformation plan with public progress reports. Smaller enforcement actions have continued — a A$2 million fine in 2024 after self-excluded people were able to gamble, a censure in 2025 and a A$100,000 fine in November 2025.

Tips before you go

Carry photo ID and dress smart casual.
Machines require a player card and daily limits; Crown caps play at 12 hours a day and 36 hours a week.
Cash is limited under Victorian law to A$1,000 per 24 hours; plan your budget in advance.

A word about gambling harm

A casino open around the clock makes it easy to lose track of time and money. If you find yourself chasing losses or hiding how much you spend, stop and talk to someone. In Melbourne, Crown's PlaySafe Centre (1800 801 098) and Gambler's Help (1800 858 858) are open 24/7. At home in Britain, the National Gambling Helpline is on 0808 8020 133. GAMSTOP only covers UK licensed online sites, so it does not apply at Crown. More on our responsible gambling page.