A Chinese court on Monday jailed 16 current and former employees of Crown Resorts, the Australian casino group controlled by billionaire James Packer, for between nine and 10 months for organising gambling trips for high-rollers.

Australian Jason O’Connor, head of Crown’s international VIP operations, and Alfread Gomez, Crown’s Malaysian vice-president of operations in China, both received 10-month sentences, concluding a prosecution that forced Crown to abandon its overseas ambitions and hit revenues at its casinos.

Nineteen defendants were all convicted of “organising gambling parties”, with 16 receiving jail sentences and fines totalling Rmb8.6m ($1.3m), Crown said in a statement, adding that the company would pay the entire amount. Mr O’Connor was handed the heaviest fine, amounting to Rmb2m.