Crown Resorts has claimed the best way to prove it is fit to hold the licence for its new Sydney casino is to throw the doors open under close supervision and address shortcomings through a “working test”.

The proposal to the NSW Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority (ILGA) inquiry on Thursday formed part of desperate attempt to salvage Crown’s $2.2 billion Barangaroo casino, a day after the gambling authority spiked plans for it to open next month.

Crown’s barrister Neil Young, QC, told Commissioner Patricia Bergin that if she finds Crown unsuitable to hold a licence it was not necessary to delay operations during a “conversion period” to clean up its act.