In the early 1990s, Australia was one of the last countries to legalize casino gambling. At that time, there were only a few casinos in the country, and they were all located in large cities. But in 1992, the Australian government changed the law, allowing the construction of regional casinos.
One of the first approved regional casinos was the King Johnnie Casino, which was to be built in the town of Cairns in far north Queensland. The casino was a joint venture between American gaming company Harrah’s and Australian company PBL (now Crown Resorts).