After many weeks of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic-related lockdowns and other safety and protection measures employed, casinos in New Zealand including three venues operated and owned by SkyCity Entertainment Group Limited have been fully re-open. SkyCity Entertainment Group Limited is a local casino operator that just recently revealed that its three gambling-friendly venues in New Zealand have been re-opened without coronavirus-related protocols that enforce social distancing measures.

The Sydney and Wellington-listed casino operator used one of its latest official fillings to share more details about re-opening its three venues. First of all, SkyCity Entertainment Group Limited made the re-opening move shortly after the New Zealand government lowered the nation’s’ four-level coronavirus alert warning to the least concerning Level One. This immediately eliminated all of those previously enforced measures and restrictions caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic except those which relate to foreign travel.

SkyCity Entertainment Group Limited Casinos

As previously mentioned, SkyCity Entertainment Group Limited or simply SkyCity is one of the leading entertainment and gaming companies in the region based in Auckland, New Zealand. The company owns and operates five gambling-friendly venues in Australia and New Zealand that do not only include rich casino floors, but also two high-end hotels, bars as well as restaurants and more.

The firm’s shares are traded on the New Zealand and Australian Stock Exchange. Since its establishment back in 1996, SkyCity Entertainment Group Limited took over operations from the Harrah’s Entertainment complex within the Skycity Auckland complex. The company opened its very first Auckland, New Zealand-based gambling-friendly venue back in February of 1996 before expanding its business operations to other Australian and New Zealand cities.

In June of 2000, the firm purchased the Adelaide Casino property while several months later, it added the Skycity Queenstown resort to its growing portfolio of luxury properties. In July of 22004, SkyCity Entertainment Group Limited purchased the Darwin Casino and Hotel property from the MGM Mirage firm and re-named it to SkyCity Darwin.

Its gambling-friendly venues in New Zealand which have just recently re-opened include the SkyCity Auckland venue which is the nation’s biggest casino located in Central Auckland. It features slot and table gaming activities with over one hundred gaming tables and over one thousand and six hundred gaming machines. The SkyCity Auckland property features two hotels, a seven hundred-seat theater, convention center, as well as more than twenty restaurants and bars.

The company’s SkyCity Hamilton property opened in September of 2002. Its casino floor is packed with twenty-three tables and over three hundred gaming machines. Other amenities include a bar and restaurant which commonly host live music performances. The SkyCity Queenstown property opened twenty years ago in 2000. It features twelve gaming tables and eighty-six gaming machines.

Normal Casino Activities Return

SkyCity Entertainment Group Limited was forced to temporarily shut down operations at its three gambling-friendly venues back on the 23^rd of March. Some twenty-six days ago, the casino operator was allowed to partially re-open the three casinos after the New Zealand government updated its health management framework. According to this framework, casinos had to have their gaming floor divided into different zones.

At the time, the operator’s three casinos started welcoming their first guests who had to practice social distancing measures while the operator had to increase the distance between gaming tables and slot machines. Today, all of these measures have been removed which means that trio of SkyCity Entertainment Group Limited casinos return to their normal business operations and normal working hours.

One of the most prominent casino operators in New Zealand, the SkyCity Entertainment Group Limited has just recently announced that it will be redeveloping its facilities located in the cities of Hamilton and Auckland. According to the company’s official press release, the resumption project for its venues will start very soon. This Auckland-based company shared more details about its future redevelopment plans in its official press release.

The decision to restarts its previously planned renovation projects came shortly after the government in New Zealand reduced the overall ongoing coronavirus threat from an intensity that had previously made any redevelopment and similar projects virtually impossible. In its official press release, SkyCity Entertainment Group Limited also explained that the company is also looking forward to re-opening four of its domestic facilities at least partially. This will happen once New Zealand’s lockdown measures are lifted which could happen on the 11th of May.

SkyCity Entertainment Group Limited Since 1996

The Auckland-based SkyCity Entertainment Group Limited firm was founded twenty-four years ago in 1996. This is one of the most prominent entertainment and gaming companies in New Zealand which owns and managed five casino venues in Australia and New Zealand. In addition to owning and managing casino facilities, the company is also responsible for two hotels, a number of bars and restaurants as well as several convention centers and Sky Tower in Auckland.

The SkyCity Entertainment Group Limited firm’s shares are traded on the New Zealand and Australian Stock Exchange. Two years after its establishment, the company took overall operations of the iconic Harrah’s Entertainment complex. Since opening its very first casino venue in Auckland back on the 2nd of February in 1996, the company has grown massively across both Australian and New Zealand cities.

Back in 2000, the company acquired the Adelaide Casino while another gaming venue was added to its rich portfolio when the company opened its Skycity Queenstown venue. Four years later, the company purchased the Darwin Casino and Hotel facility which used to be managed by MGM Mirage. Then, several months later, SkyCity Entertainment Group Limited acquired a 40.5% stake in Christchurch Casino. Today, the company owns and operates five gaming venues including Adelaide Casino, Skycity Wharf Casino, Skycity Queenstown, Skycity Hamilton, and Skycity Auckland.

Redevelopment of Skycity Auckland and Skycity Hamilton

In its official press release, the company detailed that its new redevelopment plans revolved around its iconic, premium gaming rooms located within its Skycity Auckland venue. The company also shared that it will be constructing a Food-Republic food and beverage outlet which is planned for the facility’s main gaming floor. SkyCity Entertainment Group Limited also shared that these refurbishments are not the only ones as the company will also revamp the venue’s Aces Bar as well as create a brand-new entertainment zone.

Moreover, visitors to Skycity Auckland can expect to enjoy a number of other attractions that will be added to the property including new meeting and convention spaces alongside new attractions which are planned for the venue’s Convention Center which is located adjacent to the Skycity Auckland’s main building. This is not everything as the company plans to refurbish its Skycity Hamilton property as well which is located around seventy-seven miles from Skycity Auckland. According to the company’s official press release, the Skycity Hamilton property will be enriched with new gaming tables while its main casino floor will undergo some design changes as well.