Across Australia, casino operators are competing for the business of a unique target audience: high rollers. Over the course of the past year, we have seen plenty of land-based gambling venues shift their focus towards VIP players – and SkyCity Adelaide has recently taken the leap. According to local news reports, SkyCity is planning a $350 million expansion, the result of which will attract high rollers visitors from Asia.

The casino operator also wants to keep local VIP players in the state, as many high rollers tend to travel to Queensland and New South Wales to visit Crown Melbourne and The Star. "Some of Crown Melbourne's biggest players come from South Australia. They don't play here, they can't play here, there's just nothing suitable for them, which will change,” says David Christian, General Manager of Adelaide Casino.

“We will be going from a substandard product to a level-playing field." The casino operator will place a special focus on Baccarat, since it is the preferred casino game of visits from Thailand, China, Taiwan and Indonesia. At the moment, the game is responsible for 40% of the casino’s profits, and SkyCity is capitalizing on the opportunity. The renovation will include a baccarat pavilion which will focus on this particular card game.

The casino’s expansion started in December 2013, when SkyCity spent $45 million on refurbishing the gaming floor. Over the course of the next few months, the casino will be outfitted with a bar and lounge. SkyCity Adelaide will also include new gaming services and policies that will benefit high rollers. For example, cashless gaming will be made available to players and high rollers will be able t wager up to $200 000 on VIP gaming tables.

By 2016, the renovation will be complete. SkyCity Adelaide will be home to a six-star hotel, VIP gaming area and world-class restaurants.

About the Author

George Anderson
Author George, has over 25+ years’ experience in the Pokies and Casinos industry throughout Australia and New Zealand. Loves to research new Pokies games on the block and follows announcements from top industry providers about their upcoming releases. As soon as a new interesting pokie game appears on his radar, George is there to check it out and give you the scoop before anyone else and tell you about all casino sites where can play the latest game. Before this gig, George worked as Pokie game tester, making him an ideal candidate for this genre of work. He is also an animal lover and a proud owner of three dogs.