Skycity Casino, Darwin, Australia

Casino Darwin is the capital of, and the largest city in, the Northern Territory in Australia. The smallest of all Australian capital cities it still manages to operate its own casino, the only one in the state.

Skycity Casino Darwin was granted a casino licence in 1979, and opened in Mindle Beach in 1983. It has had many names since then, Mindle Beach Casino, Diamond Beach Hotel and Casino, MGM Grand Darwin and finally Skycity Darwin, after the Skycity Entertainment group purchased it in 2004.

The Casino

The Skycity Darwin casino has everything you could need over its two level gaming floor. Over 750 electronic gaming machines, free live entertainment and facilities close by. There’ s NTKeno and TAB available, 26 table games and changing weekly gaming promotions to keep you entertained.

The electronic games include Reels of Wheels and Goliath, and the ever-popular Vegas Star. Located next to Rapid Roulette on the gaming floor, Vegas Star offers tablet style betting where animated dealers can lend a hand in playing Baccarat or Roulette. Sleek and sophisticated, this is a great section of the gaming floor to experience. Skycity Darwin is constantly adding new machines to their collection. The latest additions are the fantastic Lightning Link, Lightning Cash, Wicked and Wild, Weird, Jetsetter Link and Tarzan-Lord of The Jungle. With those titles, everyone will want to try their luck.

Something special in this Northern territory casino – is the café that holds a whole bunch of 1-cent machines. At Cent City you can enjoy light snacks and hot drinks like tea and coffee to perk you up a bit, whilst you play the room on their exclusive 1-cent machines!

Most of the gaming machines in this casino run on a Ticket in Ticket Out (TITO) system. This is a new system of payout to make the handling of cash easier whilst you play on the gaming floor. You insert cash into a machine at the beginning of your play, when you decide to leave the machine, press collect and a ticket will be printed with your credit amount. This ticket can then act as your cash for the machine for the rest of your night, insert it into your next machine to start playing, just as you would with your hard cash. Machine hop with this ticket, or, when the times comes that you wish to pay out, simply take it up to the cashier to redeem your winnings.

VIP gaming suites for members have exclusive games within. The Diamond Room and Skyroom have machines like Striking Stars, Fine Diamonds, Dynamite Cash, 5 Dragons Gold, 5 Dragons Legend, Rich Traditions, Lucky Strike and Tunes of fun.

Gaming machines are open 24 hours, Tables pen from 12 noon, until the early morning hours.

The hotel

The hotel and spa in Skycity Darwin has won a bunch of impressive award and can boast the fact they are a 5 star beachfront resort with luxury rooms, villas and gaming suites.

With an 8 rooms tropical spa, lagoons and tropical beachside gardens at your doorstep, a glorious poolside cocktail bar, and private white sand beach, wouldn’t you want to stay here too?

The hotel run some great package deals and seasonal specials, so make sure you hit up the website to grab a great deal for your stay.

The food and wine

Multiple restaurants and bars are at your feet as soon as your step out of the gaming floor or hotel.

The wonderful restaurants include The Vue, where there is an exceptional buffet on hand, or if you like Italian food, head to il Piatto to enjoy your meal with a stunning view of the Arafura Sea. There’s authentic Asian fusion cuisine at Dragon Court, and you simply must eat at the award Good Food and Travel Guide Chef hat wining restaurant, Evoo. Bars a plenty why not try poolside cocktails and imported beers at Terrace Bar, or enjoy the ocean view with champagne Friday’s and live music at Sandbar. The fantastic sports bar Aces has heaps of screens, a dance floor and funky bar, plus TAB facilities, and then there’s Cent City, remember that nice hidden treat I mentioned with good coffee and food and 1 cent machines? A great line-up to keep you fuelled for your night.

The location

Mindle beach is a well-known spot for visitors to Darwin; it has a wonderful night market known as the Mindle Beach Sunset Market, which you should definitely visit if you are there between April and October. Here you can find over 130 stalls of local craft and goods, and lots and lots of food vans to grab a bite to eat and watch the sunset on the beach, and then head back to the casino and hotel for the rest of the evening. Stay and enjoy your evening at the Skycity Darwin and head back to the beach to catch the next sunrise in the same spot. Divine.Read more