KEY POINTS:
SkyCity's new chief wants the gambling regulator to soften rules requiring them to put wealthy high rollers in the same category as problem gamblers if they spend more than $300 a session.
New rules since December include legislation to ensure casinos keep track of punters who visit more than five times per week and spend over $300 per session on pokie machines or who visit twice a week and spend at least $500 a session.
The changes are designed to help keep track of problem gamblers.
But SkyCity chief executive Nigel Morrison, who joined the company in March said the tight restrictions made it harder for it to compete with Australian casinos which flew VIP customers in from all round the world.
"We have quite a lot of VIP customers. We would like to see a softening of regulatory issues in relation to gaming machines."
Morrison said SkyCity wanted to provide a more user-friendly experience for VIP customers similar to those at Melbourne's Crown Casino or Star City in Sydney.
"It we could achieve something in that regard it would help us to retain our existing clients and attract new business."
He said one way to do this would be to give exemptions to those playing in the VIP room, a tool which was already used in some states of Australia.
Morrison, who has more than 20 years experience in Australia and most recently worked in Macau, is hoping to attract more international high rollers to the Auckland casino, particularly from Australia and Asia.
The hotel and casino operator has already beefed up the experience on its gaming team. Last week it appointed managers Ejaaz Dean and Matthew Hardman to head up its table game and gaming machine operations.
Yesterday Dean said he and Hardman, who have previously worked together in Sydney, were focused on gathering information and putting together a strategy on how to improve the gaming areas and bring more "fun" and "energy" to the casino.
This would include more training and support for staff to ensure greater employee engagement with customers, he said.
There are also plans to try and attract one of the big poker championships to New Zealand through the offer of a million dollar prize.
Morrison said he would continue to focus on strategies to help turn around the lacklustre performance of SkyCity in the next 12 to 18 months.
SkyCity's share price yesterday closed down 9c cents to $3.72 yesterday down from a year high of $5.56.
SKYCITY CLOSE TO DECISION ON CINEMAS
SkyCity expects to make an announcement within weeks as to whether the sale of its cinema assets will go ahead.
The hotel and casino operator has been in talks with bidders since early this year for the cinema assets, which include 69 SkyCity cinemas, a 67 per cent stake in Village Cinemas Fiji and a 50 per cent stake in Rialto Cinemas.
When new CEO Nigel Morrison came on board in March he said interested parties were down to two and he hoped to finalise the deal within months.
Yesterday he confirmed SkyCity was in talks with one bidder, thought to be United States firm Reading Cinemas, and he expected to wrap up the negotiations within weeks.
"We will probably make an announcement in the next couple of weeks," he said.
Morrison said the company recognised it was a difficult time for businesses to raise money.
In February, SkyCity wrote down the value of the cinema assets by $60 million in a bid to reach a sale agreement valuing them at around $60 million.
Morrison yesterday played down their significance to the total business. He said SkyCity would not be fazed if it could not sell the cinemas and if it had to keep them they would make an economic return. "They only represent about 3 per cent of SkyCity. We are relaxed either way."
