KEY POINTS:
SkyCity Entertainment Group has beefed up its gaming expertise with the appointment of two senior managers.
The casino and hotel operator yesterday announced Ejaaz Dean had joined the company as executive manager of table games while Matthew Hardman had taken on the role of executive manager gaming machines.
Both positions are newly created and fulfil promises by new chief executive Nigel Morrison to bring more experience to the firm's gaming business.
Morrison joined SkyCity in March from the Galaxy Entertainment Group in Macau and has 18 years' experience working in casinos across Australia.
His two new executives also come from across the Tasman.
Dean has worked in casinos for more than 20 years and comes from Perth's Burswood Casino where he was chief operating officer for table games, gaming machines and international business.
Hardman, also with a similar level of experience, hails from Crown Casino in Melbourne where he was general manager of gaming machine operations.
Industry commentators have welcomed the appointments.
"It is encouraging. Shareholders in general have been dissatisfied with the performance of the Auckland property and Auckland by far represents the major earner of the business. Any improvement in that property would be welcome," said Brook Asset Management's Simon Botherway.
Forsyth Barr analyst Jeremy Simpson said he expected the combination of SkyCity's recently refurbished gaming floor and new team to boost its gaming business although year-end results would likely be too soon to see any difference. SkyCity's financial year ends on June 30.
In February SkyCity reported a 97.1 per cent fall in first half net profit to $1.3 million after it wrote down the value of its cinema assets by $60 million in a bid to secure a sale.
Without the write-down, net profit for the six months would have been up 36.2 per cent to $61.3 million.
Morrison told the Herald in March two parties were conducting due diligence on the cinema assets and he hoped to have an offer on the table soon. But no bids have emerged. SkyCity has said it is still in discussions with interested parties.
SkyCity has also promoted Simon Jamieson to general manager of its Auckland hotels group.
SkyCity's share price was down 2c to close at $3.92 yesterday.
