Sky City Upbeat Despite Smoking Ban

NEW ZEALAND – As reported by the New Zealand News: "Sky City is upbeat about future growth despite facing uncertainty and a $10 million hit to the pocket as December's smoking ban looms.

"'There will inevitably be uncertainty around the introduction of smoke-free. However, we see those impacts abating as people become acclimatised,' chairman Rod McGeoch said yesterday.

"Presiding over his first Sky City meeting as chairman, the Sydney-based lawyer and company director told a packed room in Sky City's new conference centre that the group had a range of 'new assets in place, recently completed and in the pipeline to be introduced during the next two to three years'.

"…In his speech to shareholders, managing director Evan Davies reiterated the already flagged $116 million to $119 million bottom-line profit expected for this financial year, 'despite the introduction of the non-smoking regime in December'…"