BIllionaire James Packer says it was the detention of Crown Resorts employees in China that was behind the casino company's change in strategy from a global to an Australian focus.
Mr Packer, who is Crown's biggest shareholder and recently returned to the company's board, told Crown's annual general meeting that the company was affected by the detention of 19 employees, who later pleaded guilty to charges of illegal promotion of gambling in mainland China.
"That forced the Crown directors' hand in a large degree in relation to Macau," Mr Packer said.
Crown began selling its interests in its joint-venture casinos in Macau in December 2016, two months after the first detention of the company's employees in China.
Mr Packer also rejected allegations of misconduct made against Crown by federal independent MP Andrew Wilkie under the protection of parliamentary privilege.
"Andrew Wilkie throws something into the parliament which is a lie," Mr Packer said.
Mr Packer told the meeting that he grows more confident each day in the prospects for Crown's $2.4 billion casino-resort project at Barangaroo in Sydney.
High Sydney property prices were underpinning a lift in the volumes of high-rolling VIP gamblers, he said.
