SkyCity Casino in Auckland will lose $3 million due to licence suspension

SkyCity Entertainment Group has agreed to temporarily cease operations at its Auckland land-based casino as part of a licence suspension agreement. The closure of SkyCity Auckland will last for five days, though the exact timing has not been confirmed.

The application for licence suspension relates to a case dated February 2022. A former SkyCity Auckland customer has lodged a complaint with the Department of Home Affairs (DIA). The document cited the casino's failure to comply with responsible gaming requirements between August 2017 and February 2021.

In September 2023, the Secretary of the Interior filed a motion based on the evidence reviewed to temporarily suspend the operating licence of SCML Casino, a subsidiary of SkyCity.

5 days without customers is expected to hit the group's underlying EBITDA. The total loss due to the suspension of operations of the gambling house will be approximately NZD 5 million (£2.3 million, €2.8 million EUR or $3.0 million USD).

However, this measure will put an end to the licence suspension case.