SkyCity May Have License Suspended in New Zealand

The suspension that SkyCity Entertainment Group is looking at has to do with an application by the Secretary of the Department of Internal Affairs, which specifically addresses a case from February 2022 and has to do with a complaint from a customer who gambled at the SkyCity Auckland property between August 2017 and February 2021.

Several Casinos Targeted in New Zealand

According to the complaint and application, SkyCity Casino Management Limited, the subsidiary tasked with running the SkyCity Hamilton, SkyCity Queenstown, and SkyCity Auckland, did not comply in full with the requirements under its responsible gambling play – the SkyCity Auckland Host Responsibility Program.

The venue is accused of having allowed the player to gamble without regard for their source of income. The Host Responsibility Program is designed to prevent such incidences in such instances, but it has not been used effectively, the application stated.

The Commission will now have to decide whether it would move forward with a casino license suspension, but the company seems confident that the suspension would not last more than 10 days. SkyCity Entertainment Group has clarified that its operations at SkyCity Adelaide, the Australian property, would not be impacted.

Before a suspension may come about, however, the Gambling Commission may want to investigate further and summon all parties involved, which is usually a lengthy process that takes several months at the very least. As to SkyCity, the company has expressed its readiness to collaborate with authorities.

Possible Suspension Still a Long Way Off

“SkyCity will fully cooperate with the Secretary in relation to the application and process,” the company said.

“SkyCity is committed to maintaining the highest standards of host responsibility best practice, with priority given to minimizing the impacts associated with problem gambling as an area of primary focus,” the company added, assuring that it was determined to pursue a course of action that would allow it to take better care of its patrons.

Meanwhile, the company has also faced pressure in Australia where the country’s financial regulator, AUSTRAC, opened civil penalty proceedings against the casino in December. The casino is also undergoing a thorough review of its AML and CTF policies as part of a broader sweep in Australia attempting to determine whether operators are complying with gambling laws.