Chips not down on casino revamp THE Skycity Entertainment Group has dismissed reports it is about to abandon a proposed $250 million expansion of the Adelaide Casino. But the listed casino operator yesterday made it clear a final go-ahead would depend on the state government making "regulatory changes" that would allow Skycity to better compete with interstate rivals. The project would expand the casino to the banks of the River Torrens and is regarded as fundamental to state government plans to upgrade the nearby Adelaide Oval for AFL football and make the riverfront precinct the entertainment heart of the city. Chief executive Nigel Morrison said speculation Skycity was about to scrap the Adelaide redevelopment was "unfounded and wrong." "Skycity has publicly stated all along that we are excited by the opportunity to invest in Adelaide's casino and we very much want to be a part of the transformation of the riverbank precinct," Mr Morrison said yesterday. Our position has not changed. Mr Morrison refused to be specific about the regulatory changes the company wanted. Skycity chairman Rod McGeoch spelled out the reality in March when he asked why SA's gambling taxes were so high. In Darwin, we pay 20 per cent. In other states the rate varies from 17-25 per cent. In SA, it's 43.5 per cent," Mr McGeoch told a briefing hosted by Advantage SA. It's not a level playing field and when we assess this $250m expansion project, our board needs to be convinced that it provides value for money. The expansion is contingent on there being a level playing field. Mr Morrison confirmed the approach yesterday when he said Skycity wanted a "level playing field." Any tax concessions to Skycity in tomorrow's state budget are bound to be the subject of close scrutiny.