Pop singer Taylor Swift is taking criticism in anti-gambling circles after partnering with Crown Resorts for her tour in Australia. These advocates believe that this relationship could encourage her fan base to engage in gambling.
the partnership only covers the Crown Metropol Hotel and not its gambling facility
Swift announced details of her tour in Australia on Wednesday, with it being “presented by Crown.” After local media made inquiries, Crown Resorts clarified that the partnership only covers the Crown Metropol Hotel and not its gambling facility.
Talking about the matter, anti-gambling advocate Tim Costello questioned the thinking behind the 33-year-old singer’s partnership with a company that “was found to have the worst predatory gambling practices of anywhere in Australia.”
With Crown Resorts looking to bounce back from years of negative press regarding issues at its properties like money laundering and lack of protection for gamblers, Monash University Associate Professor Charles Livingstone believes the company is looking to normalize the brand once more by aligning with Swift. He said that this approach is “not particularly subtle but it associates Crown with something positive.”