Aquis Entertainment, owner and operator of Casino Canberra in Australia’s national capital, says it is no longer eligible to claim the government’s COVID-19 JobKeeper scheme after staging a strong recovery in 4Q20.
In a Tuesday filing, the company confirmed it had been eligible for phase two of the JobKeeper scheme, which ran from 28 September 2020 to 3 January 2021 – aimed at helping businesses impacted by COVID-19 avoid making staff redundant.
However, “Casino Canberra’s trading performance over the December quarter was strong and returned to approximately pre-COVID levels,” it said. As a result, Aquis is no longer eligible for JobKeeper’s third phase under the national government’s criteria.
Aquis said all employees were recalled to full capacity in 4Q20 despite the property still operating under some restrictions. As per local COVID guidelines, Casino Canberra is currently capped at one person per four square meters of usable space, giving it a capacity of 505 patrons.
“The business continues to operate according to its COVID Safety Plan, as required by the ACT Government, which is reviewed daily and updated based on the latest advice issued by the ACT Government,” it said.