South Australia to launch independent review into SkyCity

South Australia’s Liquor and Gambling regulator has announced it is commissioning an independent review of Adelaide’s SkyCity casino to analyse if it is still suitable to hold its casino licence.

Australia.- The investigations into Australian casino operators continue, and now it’s the turn of SkyCity. South Australia has announced an independent probe of the operator’s suitability to continue holding a casino licence in the state.

The investigation follows on the heels of public inquiries into first Crown Resorts and most recently the Star Entertainment Group in other states. South Australia’s Liquor and Gambling regulator has announced that the Honourable Brian Martin AO QC will lead the state’s investigation and report back to the liquor and gambling commissioner Dini Soulio by 1 February next year.

Soulio said the aim was to “ensure that the way that SkyCity operates demonstrates that the licensee is still suitable to hold the casino licence in South Australia.”

He said: “Commissions of Inquiry have been undertaken in New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia into the casinos operating or proposing to operate in those states and a further inquiry is about to be commenced in Queensland.”

SkyCity said it will fully cooperate with the review.

Last year, the financial crimes watchdog AUSTRAC also launched an investigation into Australia’s three main casino operators – SkyCity, Star Entertainment Group and Crown Resorts – after it detected that their counter-terrorism funding (CTF) and anti-money laundering (AML) programmes were unsatisfactory. 

AUSTRAC also started to investigate a compliance assessment about how SkyCity managed high-risk and politically exposed customers between July 2015 and June 2016 and between July 2018 and June 2019.

SkyCity to appoint new non-executive directors

SkyCity chair Julian Cook said the company was restructuring its board committee structure and intends to appoint Kate Hughes as chair of a new Risk and Compliance Committee expected to be established later this year. The company also announced the appointment of Glenn Davis as non-executive director.

Cook said: “Kate and Glenn are experienced professionals and bring considerable expertise to the SkyCity Board across a diverse range of sectors and industries. We are delighted that they have agreed to join the SkyCity Board.”