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27 Jul 2020 | By Sun International

Sun International casinos pay out R22.4m in two weeks

Slot machines at Time Square Casino in Menlyn, Pretoria before the COVID-19 lockdown | Photo by Sun International

Since being allowed to reopen at the beginning of July, Sun International's casinos have created two new millionaires and paid out 142 jackpots of R50 000 and above totalling R22.4-million during the first two weeks of operation. 

While lockdown restrictions such as a ban on serving alcohol and the new national curfew have had a negative impact on reopening leisure industries such as restaurants, the casino industry is proving to be resilient.

Graham Wood, Sun International's group COO for Hospitality, said, "We were extremely pleased by the positive response to the reopening of our casinos. Many of our regular customers had kept in touch with us during lockdown so we knew they would support us.

"The new curfew will, unfortunately, reduce our operating hours and revenues at a time when our primary focus should be stabilising our business to save jobs. We appreciate that the Government has to consider the cost of lives. Still, we hope that the curfew will be applied only as a short-term measure to achieve a state of readiness to cope with a pandemic that we are told will be with us for a long time."

To ensure social distancing and for track-and-trace purposes, only members of Sun International's loyalty programme, Sun MVG, are allowed access to the casinos. 

The 142 jackpots include:

The Boardwalk Casino in Port Elizabeth paid out 10 jackpots of just over R2 million.

Carnival City Casino in Ekurhuleni paid out 26 jackpots of over R5 million

Flamingo Casino in Kimberley paid out two jackpots of over R150 000.

Golden Valley in Worcester paid out two jackpots of just over R114 000.

GrandWest Casino in Cape Town has created two millionaires and has paid out 29 jackpots with a total of over R4.4 million.

Meropa Casino in Polokwane paid out two jackpots of just over R134 000.

Sibaya Casino in Durban paid out 16 jackpots of just over R1.8 million.

Time Square Casino in Menlyn, Pretoria 28 jackpots of almost R5.8 million.

The Wild Coast Sun paid out four jackpots of almost R473 000.

Windmill Casino in Bloemfontein has paid 23 jackpots of almost R2.2 million.

Although Sun International's urban casinos are open, Sun City Resort will, unfortunately, remain closed until Government's restriction on interprovincial leisure travel is lifted.