Sky City Entertainment Group Ltd., New Zealand's largest casino operator, will spend more than AUD 50 million (USD 48 million) acquiring and developing beachfront land next to its Darwin casino in Australia's Northern Territory. The 5,400 square-meter (6,460 square-yard) Little Mindil site will be developed for outdoor recreation areas including a boardwalk and beachside promenade, Auckland-based Sky City said in a statement today.

The new boss of the Kiwi gambling company behind casinos in Adelaide and Darwin believes he can lure high rollers away from the bright lights of Macau and into his local casinos, a feat his predecessor failed to achieve. Nigel Morrison, the former Crown Casino executive and now SkyCity Entertainment chief executive, told the Herald yesterday the strategy planned to take on rival casinos, including Crown, by attracting big spenders with lavish enticements.