SkyCity Entertainment Group Limited (SkyCity) has announced the resignation of Jo Wong from her role as General Counsel and Company Secretary, effective January 22nd, 2025.
In the company announcement, SkyCity Chief Executive Officer Jason Walbridge expressed gratitude for Wong’s contributions to the company over the past 16 years, stating that she has been a “valuable member of the Senior Leadership Team and has led SkyCity’s legal, company secretarial, and regulatory affairs functions through a very complex and challenging period over recent years, demonstrating strong leadership and resilience.”
Walbridge highlighted Wong’s pivotal role in navigating the company through significant regulatory and legal matters, including the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (AUSTRAC) civil penalty proceedings.
In May of this year, SkyCity reached an agreement with the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) to pay a civil penalty of AU$67 million ($46 million), pertaining to historical AML/ CTF failings at its land-based casino in Adelaide.
The Federal Court of Australia later approved this agreement to resolve civil penalty proceedings and ordered SkyCity to cover AUSTRAC’s costs of AU$3 million ($2 million).
Then, in September, SkyCity Casino Management Limited (SCML), a subsidiary of SkyCity was also penalized NZ$4.16 million ($2.6 million) for breaches of anti-money laundering and terrorism financing obligations (CML/CTF).
In New Zealand, SCML holds a casino operator’s license for operations in Auckland, Hamilton, and Queenstown.
