SkyCity flogging Darwin casino to keep those dividends flowing

New Zealand and Australian casino operator SkyCity Entertainment Group is looking to sell its Darwin casino as part of its new ‘asset-lighter’ strategy.

On Tuesday, SkyCity made its annual investor day presentation from its Auckland headquarters, during which it doubled down on its commitment to keep raining down dividends on shareholders, despite having committed over NZ$1b (US$725m) to development projects.

These costs include A$330m to breathe some life in its struggling Adelaide casino, plus another NZ$700m for a hotel/convention center expansion of its flagship Auckland property. The company has also pledged to boost the pay of roughly half its 4k New Zealand staffers to NZ$20 per hour by 2020.

In order to free up cash to keep its commitment to return 80% of net profit after tax to shareholders, SkyCity has enlisted investment bankers Goldman Sachs to drum up interest among “selected parties” in its Darwin casino, on which the company recognized an A$95m non-cash impairment last summer due to “increased competitive pressures in the gaming machine business.”