SkyCity has to close the gaming floor of its flagship casino in Auckland due to continuous play failings. [Image: Shutterstock.com]

The SkyCity Entertainment Group has reached a settlement with the Secretary for Internal Affairs in New Zealand over a complaint that it allowed a patron to gamble continuously and lose significant sums of money.

The agreement, signed Thursday, means SkyCity will have to close the gaming floor of its flagship property in Auckland for five consecutive days before the end of 2024. The dates must have the country’s gambling commission approval and will need to cover a Monday to Friday period. SkyCity estimates the closure will hit earnings by about NZ$5m (US$3m).

play pokies on one occasion for more than nine hours without any intervention

The company faced a suspension of up to ten days following the complaint from the person who gambled more than NZ$1m (US$607,264) at the Auckland facility between August 2017 and February 2021. They were able to play pokies on one occasion for more than nine hours without any intervention.

SkyCity admitted on Thursday that it failed to live up to its licensing requirements. A technology design error supposedly meant it didn’t properly monitor the player’s activity. SkyCity also said the vigilance of staff members was not up to scratch.

SkyCity Chairperson Julian Cook said that the company still needs to complete “considerable work” on the risk systems and its approach to fighting problem gambling and financial crime.