- Business
- Reef Casino Trust (ASX:RCT) owns and leases the Reef Hotel Casino complex in Cairns, North Queensland, Australia. The Trust generates revenue primarily from rental income derived from casino operations, including electronic gaming machines, table games, TAB betting, and Keno; hotel accommodations through the Pullman Reef Hotel Casino; and food and beverage services at venues such as Tamarind Restaurant, Soy Kitchen Street Food, Merchant Café, Flinders Bar and Grill, Lihou Bar, Bar36, and tamarind private dining. Additional offerings encompass event spaces for conferences, weddings, casino sports arena, and private functions.
Founded in 1993 and headquartered at 35-41 Wharf Street, Cairns, Australia, the company operates exclusively within Australia, targeting local residents, domestic tourists, and regional visitors in the gaming, hospitality, and entertainment sectors. Reef Casino Trust functions as a subsidiary of Reef Casino Investments Pty Ltd and derives the majority of its revenue from non-VIP casino patrons focused on gaming machines, with secondary contributions from hotel and non-casino activities.
In July 2025, the Trust entered a Takeover Bid Implementation Agreement with Iris Cairns Property Pty Ltd, an affiliate of Iris Capital, for a proposed AU$177 million acquisition valuing units at AU$3.5541 each, supported by major unitholders Accor and Casinos Austria International holding over 70% of units. The offer was subsequently revised upward in August 2025 to AU$185.3 million at AU$3.72 per unit, and further to AU$192.7 million at AU$3.87 per unit, with unanimous board recommendation subject to regulatory approvals, minimum acceptance thresholds, and independent expert confirmation. These developments follow initial approaches in February 2025, CEO transition from Paul McHenry to Brad Sheahon earlier in the year, and stable 2024 revenues amid rising costs, positioning the transaction as Iris Capital's third casino asset alongside expansions in Canberra and Alice Springs.