SkyCity Casino’s license temporarily suspended due to compliance issue
SkyCity Entertainment Group has been informed by the Department of Internal Affairs that an application has been filed with the Gambling Commission to temporarily suspend the licence held by SkyCity Casino Management Limited (SCML), a subsidiary of SkyCity.
SCML is responsible for operating SkyCity’s casinos in Auckland, Hamilton, and Queenstown, New Zealand.
The requested suspension, if approved, is expected to last approximately 10 days. However, the final decision may take several months to be reached.
The grounds for this application are based on Section 144(a) of the New Zealand Gambling Act 2003, which stems from a complaint made in February 2022 by a former customer who had gambled at SkyCity Auckland casino between August 2017 and February 2021.
The application alleges that SCML failed to adhere to the SkyCity Auckland Host Responsibility Programme, specifically in identifying instances of continuous play by this customer.
SkyCity will not be providing further comment on the application and related claims at this time.
Under Section 144(a) of the Act, the Secretary has the authority to seek the suspension of a casino licence if there are concerns that the licensee has violated the Act, licence conditions, or minimum operating standards.
The Commission will make a decision on whether to grant the suspension order in accordance with the procedures outlined in Section 145 of the Act. This may involve the review of written submissions and, if necessary, the arrangement of a hearing.
Additionally, it is important to note that this action will not impact SkyCity’s non-gaming operations, including its hotels and restaurants.
We would like to inform you that Dini Soulio, the Liquor and Gambling Commissioner of South Australia, has recently appointed Kroll Australia as the independent monitor to oversee compliance at SkyCity Adelaide.