DistantNews
Support us
🇦🇺 Australia /Crime & Justice

Adelaide Casino Operator Fined $21 Million for 'Completely Unacceptable' Failings

From ABC Australia · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • Adelaide's SkyCity casino operator has been fined $21 million by the South Australian gambling regulator for failing to meet anti-money laundering and harm minimization obligations.
  • The casino must also phase out cash transactions over $4,999 and appoint an independent compliance auditor.
  • This fine follows a previous $67 million penalty in 2024 related to money-laundering allegations and customer links to organized crime.

SkyCity Adelaide has been hit with a $21 million fine from South Australia's gambling regulator, a significant penalty for failing to uphold its anti-money laundering and harm minimization duties. The settlement agreement also mandates the casino to phase out cash transactions exceeding $4,999, signaling a move towards greater financial transparency.

$21 million was a "big fine for any company" and "one of the biggest in the state's history, if it's not the biggest".

— Peter MalinauskasThe South Australian Premier commented on the size of the fine imposed on SkyCity Adelaide.

South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas described the $21 million fine as substantial, potentially one of the largest in the state's history. This penalty stems from a three-year independent review conducted by retired Supreme Court judge Brian Martin. The review, released in August 2025, found that SkyCity Adelaide's board had neglected its responsibilities for decades.

Martin's review detailed "seriously inadequate" compliance with anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing laws between 2016 and 2022, stating that "revenue prioritized over compliance." Despite these past failings, Martin deemed SkyCity suitable to retain its license by April 2024, citing improvements in senior management and corporate culture.

SkyCity's compliance with anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing laws were "seriously inadequate in a number of ways" during the 2016–2022 period, with "revenue prioritised over compliance".

— Brian MartinThe retired Supreme Court judge detailed findings from his independent review of SkyCity Adelaide's operations.

This $21 million penalty is in addition to a $67 million fine SkyCity Adelaide paid in 2024 after a money-laundering case brought by the financial crimes agency AUSTRAC. Allegations in that case revealed connections between casino customers and organized crime, loan sharking, human trafficking, and sex slavery.

This should send a clear message to South Australians that the failings of the past are completely unacceptable.

— Brett HumphreyThe Liquor and Gambling Commissioner stated the message behind the settlement agreement.

The new settlement imposes further obligations on SkyCity's New Zealand-based parent company, SkyCity Entertainment Group. These include appointing an independent compliance auditor, ensuring a majority of independent directors on the board by January 2028, and making its ban on "junkets" permanent. The casino must also provide expert reports on workforce capability, training, and culture, and notify the commissioner of any significant breaches.

We are expecting them, as the owners and operators of South Australia's only casino, to do better in future.

— Brett HumphreyThe Liquor and Gambling Commissioner expressed expectations for SkyCity's future conduct.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog