SkyCity Casino Management (SCML) may face criminal proceedings initiated by the New Zealand Ministry of Home Affairs for alleged violations of money laundering laws. The lawsuit is set to be filed on February 16, with accusations that the operator has not adequately addressed money laundering schemes in its casinos.
If the High Court accepts and upholds the claim, SCML could be subject to fines, with the maximum penalty reaching 8 million New Zealand dollars ($4.9 million). SkyCity, which operates land-based casinos in Auckland, Hamilton, and Queensland (Australia), has pledged to investigate the government's claims and cooperate with authorities.
The lawsuit outlines five distinct offenses related to money laundering, and SkyCity has stated that it independently reported some incidents to authorities following an internal investigation. The company has been implementing measures to strengthen its anti-money laundering efforts since the end of 2021. SkyCity aims to work collaboratively with the Ministry of Internal Affairs to address any identified issues.
