SYDNEY, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Three Australian employees of casino operator Crown Resorts Ltd CWN.AX detained in China since mid-October have been formally arrested on suspicion of gambling offences, Australia's foreign minister said on Tuesday.
The detention of the Australian nationals, who include Crown's head of international VIP gambling, Jason O'Connor, held along with 14 other Crown employees, has sparked concern of a wider crackdown on gambling in China. minister Julie Bishop said in a brief statement emailed to Reuters that the Australian government had been notified of the arrests. A spokeswoman for the minister could not say when the government was told.
"The three remain in detention in Shanghai and will be visited by Australian consular officials today," Bishop said in the statement.
Crown did not immediately respond to a request for comment and it is not clear whether the employees have been charged.
Eighteen Crown employees were initially detained, but one has since been released, Crown said last week. have linked the detentions - which set Crown's share price tumbling - to Chinese laws banning casinos from advertising or promoting gambling in the Chinese mainland, such as offering credit to high-spending clients.
In October, Crown said "less than half" its international VIP revenue, or about 12 percent of total revenue, came from Chinese high-rollers.