SkyCity Entertainment Group
1. Business / Trading Name: SkyCity Entertainment Group Limited (trading as SkyCity)
2. Company Number: 610568
3. NZBN: 9429038769528
4. Entity Type: NZ Limited Company
5. Business Classification: Gambling, hospitality, and entertainment services
6. Industry Category: Casino gaming, hotels, restaurants, and tourism
7. Year Founded: 1996 (incorporated 31 May 1994; Auckland casino opened Feb 1996)
8. Addresses: Registered Office – Level 13, 99 Albert Street, Auckland 1010, New Zealand. (Operates major sites in Auckland, Hamilton, Queenstown (NZ) and Adelaide (AU).)
9. Website URL: Corporate site – www.skycityentertainmentgroup.com
10. LinkedIn URL: SkyCity Entertainment Group – linkedin.com/company/skycityentertainmentgroup (Public company profile)
11. Company Hub NZ URL: https://www.companyhub.nz/companyDetails.cfm?nzbn=9429038769528
12. NZ Companies Office URL: https://app.companiesoffice.govt.nz/companies/app/ui/pages/companies/610568
13. Social Media URLs: Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/SkyCityAKL/ (official page); Twitter (X) – twitter.com/SkyCityGroup (corporate account); Instagram – instagram.com/skycityentertainment (group account). (Properties like SkyCity Auckland also maintain separate social pages.)
14. Ultimate Holding Company: None – SkyCity Entertainment Group Ltd is the ultimate parent (top-listed entity).
15. Key Shareholders: Widely held public company. Major shareholders (mostly custodial institutions) include National Nominees (~13.9%), JPMorgan Chase Bank (~10.8%), HSBC Nominees (NZ) (~15.1% plus 11.9% via State Street), JPMorgan Nominees Australia (~11.8%), Citibank Nominees (~9.6%), HSBC Custody Nominees (AU) (~8.3%), RBC Investor Services (~5.5%), and the government’s Accident Compensation Corp (ACC) (~4.7%). (These top 10 shareholders collectively account for 100% of issued shares via nominee holdings.)
16. Leadership: Julian Cook – Executive Chair (appointed director 2021, became Chair in 2022); Callum Mallett – Interim Chief Executive Officer (since March 2024); Peter Fredricson – Chief Financial Officer (since August 2024). Board of Directors (Non-executives) include Chad Barton, Kate Hughes, Glenn Davis, David Attenborough, and Donna Cooper. Senior Management includes operations heads in each division.
17. Staff: Approximately 5,000 employees across New Zealand and Australia (with ~4,000 in New Zealand). Significant layoffs (c. 25% of staff) occurred in 2020 due to COVID-19 impacts.
18. Staff with Previous Government Roles: The company has engaged former political advisors as lobbyists. E.g. GordonJon “GJ” Thompson – former senior ministerial staff (ex-Press Secretary to PM Helen Clark and briefly Chief of Staff to PM Ardern) who worked as SkyCity’s government relations advisor. Sifa Taumoepeau – a director at lobbying firm Thompson Lewis, formerly a Parliamentary advisor, managed government relations for SkyCity. (No known ex-MPs on staff, but former Chair Rob Campbell had public roles post-tenure.)
19. Past Employees: Evan Davies – founding CEO/Managing Director (1996–2007) who grew SkyCity from one site to a trans-Tasman group. Nigel Morrison – Chief Executive 2008–2016, oversaw major deals (stepped down in April 2016). Graeme Stephens – CEO 2017–2020, tenure saw international expansion and a major convention-centre fire. Michael Ahearne – CEO 2021–2024, resigned amid regulatory challenges. Julie Amey – Chief Financial Officer 2021 – 2024. Past chairs include Chris Moller (Chair 2012–2017) and Rob Campbell (Chair 2018–2021), both influential public-company directors.
20. Clients: Data Not Found. (SkyCity is a casino & hospitality operator serving the public/punters, not a consultancy with external clients.)
21. Industries/Sectors Represented: Primarily the casino gambling sector, with substantial interests in hospitality, tourism, entertainment and events (operating casinos, hotels, restaurants, bars, and convention facilities). (SkyCity effectively represents the casino industry in NZ, as it owns most of the country’s casinos.)
22. Publicly Disclosed Engagements: Very limited. No mandatory lobbying disclosures in NZ – e.g., no SkyCity or Thompson Lewis entries on any public lobbying register (none exists). The 2013 NZ International Convention Centre deal was made public via government announcement and legislation (trading a SkyCity-built convention centre for law changes). The company’s interactions with officials are usually behind closed doors (OIA-released communications in 2023 showed informal meetings and texts with ministerial advisors, rather than formal submissions). No evidence was found of SkyCity making select committee submissions on relevant bills in recent records.
23. Affiliations: SkyCity is a member of several industry and business lobby groups. Notably, it belongs to the Corporate Taxpayers Group (CTG) – a corporate lobby coalition advocating for low tax and pro-business policies (members include SkyCity, Fonterra, Air NZ, banks, etc.). It is active in tourism advocacy: SkyCity’s COO sits on the board of Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA), indicating membership and leadership in NZ’s peak tourism industry body. The company is also certified by Toitū Envirocare for sustainability (signaling engagement in corporate responsibility networks).
24. Sponsorships / Collaborations: SkyCity has a high public profile through sponsorship and community partnerships. It was naming-rights sponsor of the NZ Breakers basketball team for ~nine years (the team was known as the “SkyCity Breakers” until 2020). The company partners with charities like Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand and Variety – the Children’s Charity, providing fundraising and support. In 2020 it teamed up with the government-backed Go with Tourism programme to assist tourism workforce development. SkyCity’s Community Trusts in Auckland, Hamilton, and Queenstown distribute a portion of casino profits to local causes (over NZ$60 million granted since 1996 in Auckland alone).
25. Events (Organised or Hosted): SkyCity hosts high-profile events at its venues. It stages Auckland’s annual New Year’s Eve Sky Tower fireworks show, a major civic celebration. Its convention centres have hosted industry conferences such as the annual Petroleum Summit (oil & gas conference) – e.g. a three-day summit at SkyCity Auckland in 2015 that drew large protests against government oil exploration plans. SkyCity properties also regularly host political party conferences, trade expos, gala dinners and entertainment events (leveraging its central venues and hospitality services).
26. Political Donations: SkyCity’s political giving has come under scrutiny. In 2010 the SkyCity company (via CEO Nigel Morrison) donated NZ$15,000 to Auckland mayoral candidate John Banks, handing him a check in a SkyCity envelope ; the donation was controversially recorded as “anonymous” in Banks’ electoral return (leading to Banks’ 2014 court trial for filing a false return). SkyCity made a similar $15k donation to Banks’ rival Len Brown in the same election, indicating it hedged bets on both sides. These secret donations, revealed in court, were considered “politically sensitive” due to SkyCity concurrently lobbying for regulatory favors. Party donations: There is no public record of large direct donations to national political parties by SkyCity in recent years (analyses of Electoral Commission filings up to 2020 show no SkyCity contribution above disclosure thresholds ). However, the company’s executives have attended and presumably contributed to political fundraisers (often held at SkyCity venues), and SkyCity is known to cultivate bipartisan relationships through hospitality and donations spread across multiple candidates (as seen in the mayoral case).
27. Controversies: Regulatory Favors (“Pokies-for-Convention Centre” Deal): In 2013, SkyCity struck a deal with the Government to build a NZ$402 million convention centre in Auckland in exchange for major gambling law concessions – an extra 230 pokie machines, more tables, and an exclusive casino license extension to 2048. Opposition leaders denounced the arrangement as SkyCity “buying a law change” and putting profit over harm minimisation. The Auditor-General investigated the tender process after concerns of improper lobbying; while no unlawful conduct was found, the process raised serious cronyism concerns.
Problem Gambling & Harm: SkyCity has faced frequent criticism for problem gambling incidents – e.g. multiple cases of parents leaving children locked in cars at SkyCity’s carpark while gambling inside (a widely reported 2014 incident involved five children, prompting public outrage and highlighting lapses in host responsibility). Regulators have flagged SkyCity’s harm prevention measures as inadequate on occasion.
Money Laundering Investigations: SkyCity’s casinos have been embroiled in anti-money-laundering (AML) probes. In 2021–2023, Australia’s financial crimes agency AUSTRAC found “serious and systemic” AML compliance failures at SkyCity Adelaide; SkyCity has agreed to a proposed AUD$67 million penalty for breaches between 2016–2018. In New Zealand, the Department of Internal Affairs launched proceedings in 2023 to suspend SkyCity Auckland’s casino licence over host responsibility/AML breaches, citing significant failures to deter money laundering – SkyCity agreed to a unprecedented 5-day casino shutdown as a settlement. Other: A massive fire in October 2019 engulfed SkyCity’s under-construction international convention centre, delaying the project and raising questions about SkyCity’s project management (and leaving the Government without its promised facility on time). Throughout 2020, SkyCity drew criticism for accepting over $30 million in COVID-19 wage subsidies from taxpayers while paying dividends to shareholders.
28. Other Information of Note: Online Casino Loophole: In 2019, SkyCity launched the “SkyCity Online Casino” based in Malta to offer internet gambling to New Zealanders. This move exploited NZ’s legal gap (offshore online casinos aren’t prohibited) and effectively sidestepped NZ gambling laws – a fact noted by the company (the Malta-based online platform is expected to become a significant revenue stream). SkyCity’s online venture has spurred debate about regulating online gambling. Monopoly and Licences: SkyCity enjoys monopoly casino licenses in its host cities (e.g. the only casino in Auckland and sole table-gaming license in South Australia). The Auckland licence now runs until 2048 due to the deal, cementing SkyCity’s long-term influence in NZ’s gambling market. Ownership and Structure: The company is dual-listed on the NZX and ASX stock exchanges, and has an unusual quasi-public ownership element via ACC’s shareholding (meaning a government entity has a stake in the casino’s profits). It also operates community trusts mandated to distribute a share of profits to charity as a condition of its licences.
29. Recipient of Wage Subsidy Scheme: Yes. SkyCity claimed substantial government wage subsidies during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020 it received NZ$31.1 million from New Zealand’s Wage Subsidy Program (including an extension of $9.4m for 2,219 staff). This allowed SkyCity to retain staff during lockdown casino closures, though the move proved controversial as the company later returned to profitability. (SkyCity also received ~A$23 million via Australia’s “JobKeeper” scheme for its Adelaide property.) The firm defended its use of subsidies as essential to weather unprecedented closures, and it did not repay these funds. Critics noted that taxpayer support effectively underwrote a gambling company that soon rebounded to pay dividends, sparking debate over the ethics of such subsidies.
Sources
1. Skycity Entertainment Group Limited (NZBN 9429038769528), NZL Business Directory, https://www.nzlbusiness.com/company/Skycity-Entertainment-Group-Limited
2. Skycity Entertainment Group Limited – Shareholders, NZL Business Directory, (share allocation details), https://www.nzlbusiness.com/company/Skycity-Entertainment-Group-Limited
3. Gibson, Anne (22 July 2020). “SkyCity Entertainment Group gets wage subsidy extension: extra $9.4m for 2219 staff.” The New Zealand Herald, (archived in Wikipedia)
4. SkyCity reports 60% drop in normalised profit, RNZ News, 27 Aug 2020, https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/425118/skycity-reports-60-percent-drop-in-normalised-profit
5. Thompson Lewis (corporate website), profile of Sifa Taumoepeau, ThompsonLewis.co.nz, http://www.thompsonlewis.co.nz/ (describing govt relations work for SkyCity and prior roles)
6. Thompson Lewis (corporate website), profile of GJ Thompson, ThompsonLewis.co.nz, http://www.thompsonlewis.co.nz/ (describing Thompson’s work for SkyCity and past political roles)
7. Thompson Lewis – by Bryce Edwards, The Democracy Project (Substack), July 2023, (Integrity Institute profile noting “Select Committee/Submissions: No record” for SkyCity via Thompson Lewis)
8. SkyCity Entertainment Group – LinkedIn page, LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/company/skycityentertainmentgroup (Company profile information)
9. SkyCity – Facebook, Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/SkyCity (Official Facebook page, describing “Four premium entertainment destinations…”)
10. SkyCity (@SkyCityGroup) – X (Twitter), X.com (Twitter), https://twitter.com/SkyCityGroup (SkyCity’s corporate Twitter/X profile and description)
11. SkyCity Entertainment Group – About/Our Business, skycityentertainmentgroup.com, https://www.skycityentertainmentgroup.com/our-business (Official site listing Board and operations, accessed 2025)
12. SkyCity Entertainment Group – Wikipedia, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SkyCity_Entertainment_Group (Infobox and history details, retrieved 2025)
13. Skycity Entertainment Group Limited – business information, BizDB (NZ), https://www.bizdb.co.nz/company/9429038769528/ (Registered address and company details, updated 2025)
14. SkyCity gets more pokies in convention centre deal, RNZ News, 13 May 2013, https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/134937/skycity-gets-more-pokies-in-convention-centre-deal (Announcement of deal and reactions)
15. SkyCity deal unveiled: $402m centre, 230 more pokies, NZ Herald, 13 May 2013 (Key Government announcement details)
16. Special report: A most unconventional agreement, NZ Herald, 14 Feb 2013 (Investigation into SkyCity-Govt negotiations)
17. Secret donations ‘no oversight’ – Crown, Otago Daily Times, 29 May 2014, https://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/secret-donations-no-oversight-crown (John Banks trial coverage; details of SkyCity’s $15k donation)
18. Espiner, Guyon. “How well-connected lobbyists ask for – and receive – urgent meetings… for their corporate clients.” RNZ/ NZ Herald, 22 Mar 2023, https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/how-well-connected-lobbyists-ask-for-and-receive-urgent-meetings-sensitive-information-and-action-on-law-changes-for-their-corporate-clients/NTXZOT34EZCL3PDIEHBBZPAIZU/ (Reveals Thompson Lewis text lobbying for SkyCity)
19. Findings of AUSTRAC investigation into SkyCity Adelaide, AUSTRAC media release, 2023 (SkyCity admits AML breaches; A$67m fine proposed) – summarised by RNZ, https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/501502/skycity-faces-possible-temporary-suspension-of-nz-casino-licence (mentioning AUSTRAC penalty)
20. SkyCity faces possible temporary suspension of NZ casino licence, RNZ News, 13 Nov 2023, https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/501502/ (DIA suspension application and context)
21. Protest swells in Auckland, RNZ News, 29 Mar 2015, https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/269850/ (Report on 3,000-strong protest outside SkyCity during oil summit)
22. Corporate Taxpayers Group – Members list, NZ Treasury (information release), 2018, (Listing SkyCity Entertainment Group Ltd as a member)
23. NZIA National Integrity System Assessment 2013, Transparency International NZ, 2013, (Noting SkyCity convention centre proposal and Auditor-General’s finding of no corruption evidence)
24. SkyCity Auckland Partnerships, skycityauckland.co.nz, https://skycityauckland.co.nz/about-us/partnerships/ (Community partnerships page listing charity partners and community contributions)
25. New Zealand Breakers sign Sky Sport as naming sponsor (replacing SkyCity), NZ Herald, 2020 (SkyCity sponsorship history of Breakers)
Spot anything in this entry that is wrong? Please either leave a comment at the end or email, in confidence: bryce@democracyproject.nz