If you think it’s hard for Crown executives, spare a thought for Hong Kong Bookslllers. Up to their ears in bureaucratic red tape.

Dear reader, occasionally we give cause to pause. Yes indeed to pause and reflect upon the heavy lifting done by the LIFTERS in our community. Please, we know we’re all busy, an some of us, (anyone born after 1990) are doing it tough because they realise that it’ll be mashed avocado from hereon. Such is the solace in knowing that they’ll never ever be able to buy a home. Ever! But let us not dwell on their plight over-long, as LOSERS they’ll just have to GET OVER IT! But an issue that runs deep in these vexed times of spiraling inequality is the dilemma faced by employees, the senior executives of Crown Casino in Macau, who’ve all found themselves on the wrong side of the law. Poor sods.

Crown can learn from Hong Kong Booksellers. Though bookselling and reading generally is not comparable in any way to the successful Crown Business model.

You see the Chinese government is pretty cross with corrupt officials and their cronies siphoning money out of state owned enterprises into gambling. It’s poor form just siphoning funds into real estate in foreign countries not yet partly owned and operated by the communist party. It’s absolute disaster then, if you venture to take a spin at a partially owned foreign enterprise that encourages such frivolous behaviour. And it has been suggested even, that casino’s are an elaborate form of allowing people to launder money. Fancy that! Seems the Australian executives of Crown are in deep trouble. You’re not allowed to encourage locals to gamble elsewhere other than in China.

Crown Barangaroo. The public space is that little green piece left over on the left hand side. Proof of Crown’s excellent record in public stewardship, decency and nobility of spirit, almost akin to the noble spirit of ANZAC

We’re a little confused because Crowns’ excellent business model with a new Casino opening in Perth and another excellent one at Barangaroo, (due to open in 2020) are designed almost exclusively to siphon as much hard earned from people who incidentally come for China as fast as is humanly possible. That’s bad news for the Crown business model. A stemming of the ‘Rivers of the GOLD’ and worse still, their executives being chucked in the clanger. No trial. No charge, and No communication ever since..

There could be problem with the Crown business model. Now lets be fair, we know that Crown does a hell of a lot of good locally. Gambling has been a good thing for Australia. And way better as any comparative analysis, say Great Britain, where the profits are re-directed to community building initiatives. No such thing happens in Australia. The profits go straight back to the shareholder, to do with what they will. Thats the principle of the ‘trickle down effect’. And everyone, politicians foremost, agree that it’s an entirely satisfactory model. Incidentally quite a lot of ordinary people as consequence of gambling kill themselves and go to jail, or their lives are destroyed. The gambling industry urges us to gamble responsibly. They’ve normalised gambling to make us happier and content. That’s why Barangaroo, originally intended as a public project of open space and cultural splendour has been taken over by private enterprise and gambling to cater for high rollers. Its the net social benefit.

A high roller is someone, (coincidentally from China) with lot of money left over as surplus after they’ve bought several dozen properties in places where the rule of law applies, like Australia. The Crown executives don’t have the protection of law in China. Something they may have overlooked whilst harnessing the ‘Rivers of GOLD’. And no one knows, ( or really cares) when they’ll be set fee. That’s where China is little different. Jamie Packer, benefactor and good all round bloke to pollies on both sides of parliament may have a problem. But in gambling with high rollers, ‘when the chips are down‘, you can rely on your mates. The executives may not be out for while, perhaps a year or two, but Jamie and his mates will find a way. ‘Where there’s a will’, they say. And Jamie can learn from China. The business model that’s served well the communist party cadres will stand fast. In the end, the public will pay.