- Former Tasmania Premier Paul Lennon, who was the governmental head of the island state from 2004 to 2008, was thrown out of Melbourne’s Crown Casino last Thursday.
- The reasoning behind Lennon’s ejection is disputed, with the former Premier saying he broke the rules by licking his fingers before handling his hole cards in a low-stakes Texas Hold’em game.
Former Tasmania Premier Paul Lennon, who was the governmental head of the island state from 2004 to 2008, was thrown out of Melbourne’s Crown Casino last Thursday according to reports.
The reasoning behind Lennon’s ejection is disputed, with the former Premier saying he broke the rules by licking his fingers before handling his hole cards in a low-stakes Texas Hold’em game.
“At one instance I licked my index finger before touching my dealt cards, as you sometimes do,” said the 58 year-old Australian politician in a statement published by ABC.net.au. “For this I was removed. I questioned the reason why, but was not given an answer.”
However, several witnesses at the scene say the altercation revolved around Lennon’s “aggressive” behavior toward a woman in the casino and that he was manhandled by up to six security guards who bound his hands with cable ties.
Police were called to the scene (apparently by Lennon himself), and he subsequently paid a $738 fine for “failing to leave a licensed premises.”
Controversy Again Strikes Lennon and Crown Casino
Ironically, this is not the first time the Melbourne Crown Casino and Lennon have been embroiled in controversy.
In 2006, then Premier Lennon faced allegations of corruption after he received a VIP upgrade at the brick and mortar gambling locale.
Although he initially denied receiving preferential treatment, Lennon later admitted to being upgraded from a $200 per-night room to a $1,500 to $4,000 per-night penthouse suite complete with butler service.
Publishing and Broadcasting Limited, which owned the Crown Casino as well as a 50% stake in Betfair Australia at the time, had offered the upgrade mere days before Betfair was awarded a license to commence operations in Tasmania.
Lennon resigned from his position in May 2008 following the publication of an opinion poll which showed his approval rating at 17 percent.
