Minister orders audit of casino system

Internal Affairs Minister Rick Barker has ordered an independent audit of the system the Christchurch Casino uses to monitor its gaming machines.

The casino has been under increased scrutiny since June when The Press published a series of articles about alleged irregularities at the casino.

They were raised by the former acting chief executive Stephen Lyttelton and his deputy, Peter Arbuckle, who left the casino in May and June.

Among the allegations was a claim the casino was skimming money from its electronic gaming machines.

The allegations prompted an inquiry by Internal Affairs staff who reported in July they could find no evidence of skimming or misappropriation.

However, they admitted their work was not complete.

The latest inquiry gives the casino one last hurdle to jump before it is cleared of wrongdoing.

Barker said extensive investigations by the department found no evidence of misappropriation or skimming of gaming machine funds.

„The department is confident its investigations have been robust but I have also asked for a further independent audit to give the public absolute certainty and to confirm the integrity of the casino’s monitoring system,“ Barker said.

New casino chief executive Brett Anderson said he had no concerns but felt it was important for the process to take its course.

The casino’s electronic monitoring system would be audited by a Melbourne firm, Anderson said.