Your independent guide to gaming in central Auckland
SkyCity Auckland is New Zealand's best-known casino. It opened on 2 February 1996 at the corner of Victoria and Federal Streets, at the base of the Sky Tower, and it is run by SkyCity Entertainment Group. This site is an independent guide to the venue, to pokies across Auckland and New Zealand, and to the rules and support services worth knowing before you play. We are not connected to SkyCity, and you should always check current details on its official website.
What you will find at SkyCity Auckland
According to SkyCity, the casino has more than 2,100 gaming machines and more than 10 types of table games spread across about 150 tables. These include baccarat, blackjack, poker and tai sai. There is also a Poker Room and VIP gaming areas. The casino operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The only closures are Christmas Day, Good Friday and the morning of Anzac Day (3am to 1pm).
The wider precinct includes the 328-metre Sky Tower, which opened in 1997, plus hotels including SkyCity Hotel and The Grand by SkyCity, the SkyCity Theatre and many bars and restaurants. Next door, the New Zealand International Convention Centre opened in February 2026. Our SkyCity Auckland guide covers the venue in detail, and the casino gaming area guide explains how the floor works.
How to use this guide
Visiting the CBD for the first time? Start with the venue pages: the SkyCity overview, then directions and the pokies guide. Comparing options? Our local guides cover gaming venues across Auckland and the rules behind them. Every guide shows when it was last checked and lists its sources. We aim to state only what official or reputable sources publish. Where a figure is not public, we say so instead of guessing.
Before you go: the essentials
| Check | What to know |
|---|---|
| Age | 20+ for SkyCity's gaming areas. Class 4 pokies in pubs and clubs are 18+. |
| ID | A current passport, NZ or Australian driver licence, NZ firearms licence, or overseas national ID card with a signature or biometric data. |
| Dress | Neat and tidy. No torn or dirty clothing, hi-vis vests, sleeveless tops for men or gang insignia. Hats, caps and sunglasses are only allowed in the Poker Zone, unless worn for religious or medical reasons. |
| Getting there | The SkyDrive airport bus stops on the Hobson Street side of SkyCity. The SkyCity car park has entrances on Federal, Hobson and Nelson Streets. See directions. |
| Budget | Set a spending and time limit before you start, and stick to it. |
Pokies in Auckland: casino and Class 4
New Zealand has two main kinds of land-based pokies. Casino gaming machines, like those at SkyCity, sit inside licensed casinos. Class 4 machines are found in pubs and clubs. They are run by corporate societies that must return net proceeds to community purposes. Class 4 machines have lower limits: under current rules the maximum stake is $2.50 per play, with lower caps on prizes and jackpots. Start with pokies in Auckland, pokies in the CBD or the national pokies New Zealand hub.
Online pokies and the new law
Online casino gambling in New Zealand is changing. The Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 came into force on 1 May 2026. It sets up a licensing system with up to 15 licences, allocated by the Department of Internal Affairs. From 1 December 2026, operators without a licence must stop offering online casino gambling to New Zealanders. Licensed operators will have to offer spending limits, will not be allowed to offer autoplay, and cannot accept credit cards or buy-now-pay-later. Our land-based vs online pokies comparison and online pokies guide explain what this means for players.
Learn how pokies really work
Every spin on a modern pokie is decided by a random number generator. Return to player (RTP) is a long-run average over a very large number of spins, not a prediction for your session. If you are new, read how to play pokies and pokies for beginners. To understand popular game styles, see our guides to Megaways, Lightning Link-style and Sweet Bonanza-style pokies.
Gambling should stay fun
Gambling can cause financial loss and can be addictive. If it stops being fun, the Gambling Helpline offers free, confidential support 24/7 on 0800 654 655 or by free text to 8006. Venues in New Zealand must also let you exclude yourself for up to two years. Read our responsible gambling guide and gambling help page.