SkyCity Adelaide makes VIP entry easier

Tuesday 25th of July 2017

SkyCity Adelaide should see more high rollers in its VIP rooms after the government gave the operator the greenlight to relax entry requirements and grant other concessions, local media reports.

The concessions, which form part of the operator’s A$330 million redevelopment of the casino will see new entry rules for the high-roller rooms.

Minimum annual spend has been slashed from A$12,000 to A$8,000, and premium gaming members will be allowed unlimited maximum bets and have access to cashless gaming.

The maximum number of guests that its premium members can invite into VIP rooms has also increased, from one to four.

A government spokeswoman said the concessions were designed to help the Adelaide Casino compete in the international and interstate premium gaming market.

“A majority of these initiatives have been designed to attract more interstate and overseas tourists to South Australia and for the Adelaide Casino to better compete with casinos interstate and overseas,” she said, quoted by news outlet The Advertiser.

The casino has also been given the permission to increase the number of hotel rooms of its Adelaide property to 123, instead of the previously foreshadowed 89 rooms.

Construction is expected to begin in 2018, with completion expected for 2020, said the operator.

Skycity chief Graeme Stephens said that they believed there is a demand for more quality hotel rooms in Adelaide from both domestic and international visitors.

Less enthusiasm for Darwin

The operator’s enthusiasm was not replicated in Darwin however, with the company forced to write off all of the goodwill in the Darwin casino complex with a A$95 million impairment.

The company said the write-down was a result from substantially increased competition.

“Since the implementation of that policy in July 2015 there has been a 75 percent increase in the number of gaming machines in Darwin (outside of the casino),” said SkyCity in a statement. “This significant increase in competing gaming machines in the catchment area of the casino has consequently had an increasingly adverse impact on revenue and earnings at SkyCity Darwin since the beginning of 2016.”

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