The High Court of Australia has ruled that SkyCity Entertainment are to pay an extra AU$13.1 in casino duty, settling a long-running dispute with the Treasurer of South Australia.
SkyCity had appealed the treatment of tax on customer loyalty points used in gaming machines in its casino duty agreement. But the High Court rejected the appeal, settling the interpretation.
In addition, the company could also be obliged to pay penalty interest on the additional casino duty of up to $25.3m, subject to a pending ruling by the Supreme Court.
“This is a long-running matter involving highly technical tax issues regarding the calculation of casino duty,” said Jason Walbridge, SkyCity’s CEO. “Given the complexities, both parties decided to seek declaratory relief through the court.
“We look forward to the resolution of this matter and will continue to work with the RevenueSA to achieve this.”
