The employees of Crown Resorts, including the head of V. I. P. international operations, have been detained since October in a case that has spooked foreign gambling operators.
BEIJING — A Chinese court on Monday sentenced three Australian employees of Crown Resorts to less than a year in prison each for illegally promoting gambling in China.
Including the time they have already spent in prison, all three should be released in months.
Crown, an Australian company, said in a news release that a court in Shanghai had sentenced Jason O’ Connor, the vice president of its V. I. P. international operations, to 10 months in prison. Two other Australians, Pan Dan and Jerry Xuan, were both sentenced to nine months. They have been in detention since Oct. 14, the company said.
Thirteen other employees, one Malaysian and 12 Chinese, received similar sentences, the company said. Three more were convicted but not fined or sentenced to prison.
The case has spooked foreign gambling operators, which have tried to lure Chinese customers to their properties by enticing them with rides on private jets, good Chinese food and swift visa approvals.
