SkyCity Entertainment Group Suffer Fire Damage in Auckland

For some time now, the casino slots industry in NZ has been deeply excited by the introduction of SkyCity Entertainment Group. The first-ever privately managed casino online in New Zealand looks set to be released in the near future – but it’s likely going to see some issues over that release date. Why? Because there has been a horrific fire at the SkyCity Entertainment Group’s new Auckland convention centre.

This project, costing in the region of $450m, was expected to be used as their new and improved convention centre. As the first casino pokies company to have access to this kind of facility, it would have been a major boon for the company. However, the massive fire spread quickly thanks to the continued strong winds found in the area that evening.

The fire spread and it was almost uncontainable, with the firefighters deciding to take a step back and simply let the fire burn itself out. This means that the project, which was due for completion sometime in 2020, will likely now have to go through extensive delays.

Massive amounts of black smoke were seen across Auckland, with the outbreak of the fire made worse due to the winds in the air that evening. While it might not have a major impact on their ability to go online in Auckland, it might have meant the short-term end to their ambitious and exciting convention centre project, with massive rebuilds and repairs now needed to get it back into the condition that it was in previously.

This is a deep shame for the Auckland community, and we hope it won’t put off more NZ casinos starting up in what is sure to be an exciting, competitive area for online casino gaming.