Crown Resorts confirms Tsai as permanent CEO

Crown Resorts has officially named David Tsai as its permanent chief executive, after he initially stepped into the role on an interim basis on 31 September following Ciarán Carruthers’ resignation.

Crown CEO David Tsai

Carruthers announced his decision to leave the CEO role in late August and is expected to fully depart by 31 December. Tsai was appointed acting CEO from 1 September and will now take on the position permanently, pending regulatory approvals.

An accomplished executive, Tsai joined Crown in December 2022 as CEO of its Perth operations. In August this year, he became president and group chief operating officer before assuming the acting CEO role.

Prior to Crown, Tsai spent nearly three years as president of MGM Resorts’ Midwest Group. He previously held roles as president and COO of MGM Grand Detroit and MGM Northfield Park, and also at Gold Strike Casino Resort.

Other senior positions include SVP and CFO of Monte Carlo Resort and Casino, and VP of strategic development at Aria Resort and Casino.

Earlier in his career, Tsai held several corporate leadership roles within MGM.

Crown chair back Tsai to lead continued transformation

Commenting on the appointment, Crown chair John Borghetti praised Tsai as “an exceptionally talented executive.”

“David is a highly capable, proven, and experienced integrated resorts leader,” Borghetti said. “He has demonstrated strong commercial and strategic skills. With his commitment to team culture, David is well-positioned to drive the ongoing transformation, growth, and future success of Crown’s operations.”

Tsai also addressed his new permanent role, emphasizing his focus on Crown’s next phase of development.

“With the support of our dedicated and talented team, our aim is for Crown Resorts to become the ultimate entertainment destination in each city, positioning the business for long-term success,” Tsai said.

Crown faces further regulatory action in Victoria

The announcement follows another regulatory penalty for Crown in 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, breaching state regulations.

Investigations revealed 242 self-excluded individuals were able to place bets at Crown Melbourne on hundreds of occasions, while an additional 427 self-excluded patrons gained access in 750 separate instances.