Aquis Entertainment has announced it is no longer eligible to claim the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Government’s COVID-19 JobKeeper scheme, having staged a strong recovery in Q4 2020.

The owner and operator of Casino Canberra was eligible for phase two of the Federal Government’s JobKeeper Payment scheme, which ran from 28 September 2020 to 3 January 2021. The scheme aims to help businesses affected by the ongoing pandemic to avoid staff redundancies.

However, the operator reported strong trading performance in the most recent quarter, helping it return to pre-COVID levels, meaning it is no longer eligible to receive aid from the Government.

“Based on the assessment of the operating performance against employer eligibility requirements, Casino Canberra is not eligible for phase three of the JobKeeper payment scheme and will cease claims for JobKeeper subsidy payments effective from 4 January 2021,” the operator said.

“All employees were recalled to full capacity during the December 2020 quarter.”

Aquis also announced it will continue to operate according to its COVID Safety Plan as required by the ACT Government, which is under daily review. 

Current government guidelines mean Casino Canberra maintains capacity for patron visitation at one person per four square metres of usable indoor space.

A maximum of 505 patrons are permitted across the premises, based on the square meterage of the property.