SkyCity civil claim against former exec doubles

Tessa Grant was with the company's Hamilton casino in a senior management role from 2006 to 2014.

The amount of money which SkyCity is trying to recover from its former worker Tessa Grant has more than doubled to $2.5 million.

Grant was with the company's Hamilton casino in a senior management role from 2006 to 2014.

Earlier this year the company launched a lawsuit against her in an attempt to recoup more than $1.2 million of of allegedly "unexplained transactions".

As part of the lawsuit, Grant's assets have been frozen by the High Court. Also on ice is the North Island home where she lives with her partner, Jason Scott.

After a short hearing in the Auckland High Court this morning, SkyCity lawyer Jacqueline Lethbridge said the casino company's civil claim had increased to around $2.5 million.

That amount is similar to what police allege Grant stole during her time at SkyCity.

In April, she pleaded not guilty to 49 fraud-related charges.

Justice John Fogarty this morning ordered Grant to file a defence to SkyCity's amended civil claim within 25 working days.