Pressure mounts for SkyCity to return more profit to community

Hamilton City Council has made a draft submission to review licence conditions for casinos since SkyCity only returns 1.5 per cent of its profit to the community while pubs and clubs must return 40 per cent.

New Zealand.- Richard Briggs, Hamilton City Council chief executive, has delivered a draft submission to the New Zealand Gambling Commission calling for an increase to the amount of profit SkyCity Hamilton returns to the local community.

The casino operator only returns 1.5 per cent while a pubs and clubs must return 40 per cent of their slot machines profits.

A few weeks ago, the New Zealand Gambling Commission started analysing casino charity requirements.

For Briggs, the current licence conditions are “out of sync” due to a historic situation. He said there should be a standard profit return with a minimum contribution.

Hamilton City Council said the measure should not only include poker machines but all forms of gambling in casino venues, with 40 per cent returned to the community.

SkyCity Queenstown Casino donates nearly 2.5 per cent of its net profit, SkyCity Hamilton 2 per cent of its revenue and Auckland’s SkyCity casino just 0.7 per cent of its earnings, or a minimum of NZ$500,000.