Yet another Australian casino is facing a governmental inquiry, this time in Adelaide—South Australian regulators have announced that SkyCity, which is operated by New Zealand-based SkyCity Entertainment Group, will be the latest casino on the chopping block, on the heels of multiple damning investigations for fellow operators Crown Resorts and Star Entertainment.
The inquiry will be headed by Brian Martin AO QC, a former Canadian Supreme Court justice. The final report of the investigation is expected to be completed by the end of February.
Dini Soulio, South Australia’s commissioner for business and consumer affairs, told ABC News Australia that other inquiries in neighboring states such as Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia revealed “significant failings” on behalf of Crown Resorts and Star Entertainment, which then motivated Southern Australian officials to further investigate SkyCity Adelaide.
SkyCity operates a total of five casinos across Australia and New Zealand. Its Adelaide property in particular has already faced recent scrutiny, after a 2021 probe by the financial agency known as AUSTRAC unearthed concerns related to SkyCity’s relationship with VIP players and “politically exposed” individuals.
In a release sent to the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX), SkyCity also noted that AUSTRAC was concerned with the company’s compliance with anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism regulations, a common theme among casino inquires throughout the country thus far.
The company has said it will fully cooperate with authorities, including requests for company documents and information.
With regards to Martin’s ability to conduct the inquiry, Soulio is confident that the “highly respected” judge will “deliver a report to help us ensure that South Australians can have confidence in the way that the Adelaide Casino is operating.”
