SkyCity gets approval on USD 215M expansion of Adelaide Casino

The expansion will target both international and domestic visitors and is expected to create thousands of new jobs and stimulate market growth in the Southern Australian city.

New Zealand-based operator purchased Adelaide Casino in 2000 when a new licensing regime was introduced that eliminated the separation of operator and licensee roles and provided for the granting of a single casino license. The state-owned Lotteries Commission holds the gaming license and the facility is the only licensed casino in South Australia.

Located inside Adelaide railway station, the casino boosted earnings 77pc to $14.7m last year as revenue increased 24pc. SkyCity CEO Nigel Morrison spent a significant amount of time in Adelaide to jumpstart the business and emphasized a focus of the expansion will be to attract high-value international tourists, especially from China and South-East Asia.

“This development will help transform Station Road into a true entertainment precinct, commented Morrison. “SkyCity’s investment will create much-needed jobs and economic growth for South Australia and complement the redevelopment Adelaide Oval and the new and expanded Adelaide Convention Centre.”

Details of the expansion include the construction of an 11-story building that includes an 80-room hotel overlooking the River Torrens, as well as new gaming areas, restaurants and cafes. The plan requires certain heritage parts to be demolished, however, after a lot of deliberation the Commission granted SkyCity approval under several conditions.

One such condition is that the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure will require a heritage architect to conduct a photographic study of the site. “SkyCity has worked in close collaboration with planning authorities to secure our vision for this development,” added Morrison, “ensuring we took on board concerns relayed to us about the heritage-listed railway station.”

Once operational, the expanded facility is expected to create an additional 1,000 permanent jobs, as well as around 500 temporary construction jobs. The new facility will also upgrade Adelaide’s Riverbank Precinct area that also includes the Riverbank Footbridge, Convention Centre West Building and the Adelaide Oval.