There is instability in the ranks of those charged with keeping an eye on Perth's only casino, just months after the Perth Casino Royal Commission was told of an under-skilled and under-resourced regulator which was not equipped to deal with criminal activity like money-laundering. 

WA now has its third chief casino officer in five months, after long-time racing, gaming and liquor bureaucrat Mark Beecroft began an extended period of leave last week.

His absence could make it difficult for the WA government during the royal commission, given one of his jobs was to prepare documents and responses for both his department and the regulator, the Gaming and Wagering Commission (GWC).

The regulator also has a new chair, after the WA government announced in May the retirement of long-time bureaucrat Duncan Ord just days after he gave evidence to the royal commission.

Adding to the uncertainty, the WA government is yet to release the interim report of the royal commission, which provides recommendations on how it could improve the regulation of the casino, including managing risks like problem gambling and criminal infiltration.

The report — written from the first series of hearings, looking into how the casino was regulated — was given to Premier Mark McGowan on June 30 but is likely to be tabled in Parliament in August.

Staff changes as royal commission resumes 

Amid this environment, the Perth Casino Royal Commission resumes next week, focusing on whether Crown Perth is suitable to hold the licence for WA's only casino.

The royal commission has called Perth business heavy-hitters including Future Fund board member John Poynton and Seven West Media's chief executive Maryna Fewster to give evidence from Wednesday. 

Earlier this week, the Victorian royal commission into Crown Melbourne was told by its lead lawyer that the company was not fit for a casino licence.

Both royal commissions were launched in response to the revelations of the Bergin inquiry, which found hundreds of millions of dollars were allegedly laundered by international crime groups at Crown's Perth and Melbourne casinos.

It also found that Crown was unfit to hold a casino licence in New South Wales.

In his evidence to the first session of the WA royal commission, Mr Beecroft said he was appointed in February, after his predecessor, Michael Connolly, was forced to stand aside because of potential conflicts of interest with Crown executives.

He told the royal commission that he thought it was better that someone with "a far greater knowledge of casino regulation" would be desirable in the chief casino officer role.

He said he had been aware of Mr Connolly's friendship with senior Crown Perth executive Claude Marais since at least 2018.

"Mr Connolly would indicate that he was going fishing, going crayfishing early in the morning and Mr Marais was going to assist him with the pulling of the pots," he said.

Senior Department of Water and Environmental Regulation bureaucrat Germaine Larcombe is working as the chief casino officer.

The GWC's new chair is Lanie Chopping, the acting director-general of the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries.

Mr Ord finished up in those jobs on May 31, although a Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries spokesperson said he was receiving the same salary until the end of his contract on August 31, working with Minister for Culture and the Arts, David Templeman, on "priority projects".

The spokesperson also said Mr Connolly was still a deputy director-general of the department and was being paid the same salary, although he is no longer chief casino officer and does not oversee racing, gaming and liquor operations, including Crown Perth.