Sun International sells Carousel Casino license

Sun International on Monday said it had sold its Carousel Casino license, subject to its receiving regulatory approval. Photo: Henk Kruger/African News Agency (ANA)

Sun International on Monday said it had sold its Carousel Casino license, subject to its receiving regulatory approval. Photo: Henk Kruger/African News Agency (ANA)

Published Dec 7, 2020

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JOHANNESBURG - Leisure company Sun International on Monday said it had sold its Carousel Casino license, subject to its receiving regulatory approval.

The Carousel, which opened in 1991 in what is now South Africa’s North West province, was one of the country’s oldest and most popular casinos and entertainment centres before it closed in Marcy after the government imposed a nationwide lockdown in response to Covid-19.

Sun International later said the centre would stay permanently closed.

In a statement on Monday, Sun International said it had submitted a regulatory application to the North West Gambling Board and this would now follow due process. In the interim, the company had appointed a management firm to run the casino from December 15.

“By allowing the casino to be run by a management company we will be protecting the livelihoods of many previous staff who can now be re-employed,” chief executive officer Anthony Leeming said.

“We remain the legal owner of the gambling license until such time as we receive Gambling Board approval for the sale, but the casino will no longer form part of the Sun International Group, and it will not receive benefits from our Most Valued Guest loyalty programme.“

In addition to the casino, the property consists of a 57 room hotel, 369 apartments that formed part of the staff village, 55,000 square metres of space for retail development and 582 hectares of undeveloped land.

Sun International is one of Africa's largest tourism, leisure and gaming groups and operates or has an interest in 19 resorts, luxury hotels and casinos.

- African News Agency (ANA), Editing by Stella Mapenzauswa

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