Spending on pokies up slightly
31/01/2007
Gaming machine expenditure in almost 1600 pubs and clubs around the country rose by just under one per cent to $245.3 million in the three months to December 31, 2007 according to figures from the Department of Internal Affairs. This compares with $243.5 million in the previous quarter.
The electronic monitoring of 20,000 non-casino gaming machines became fully operational last March enabling the Department to track and monitor operations, ensuring the integrity of games and the accurate accounting of money.
The biggest spending areas in the December quarter were Auckland City with $25.2 million (10.3 per cent of the total) from 1625 machines, Christchurch City $23.6 million (9.6 per cent) from 1891 machines and Manukau City $20.2 million (8.2 per cent) from 1014 machines.
Non-club venues accounted for 87 per cent of the expenditure at $213.5 million, with chartered clubs registering 7.7 per cent ($18.9million), RSAs four per cent ($9.9 million) and sports clubs ($3 million) the remainder.
The December quarter gaming machine statistics fluctuated marginally on the previous quarter indicating that numbers have stabilised with the introduction of EMS. Licence holders dropped on the September 07 quarter, from 435 to 428, venues from 1593 to 1585 while gaming machines increased from 20,163 to 20,182.
| Licensed gambling operations in pubs and clubs | |||
Date | Licence holders | Venues | Gaming machines |
31 December 2007 | 428 | 1585 | 20,182 |
30 Sep 2007 | 435 | 1593 | 20,163 |
30 June 2007 | 439 | 1598 | 20,120 |
31 March 2007 | 444 | 1607 | 20,302 |
31 December 2006 | 476 | 1666 | 20,518 |
30 September 2006 | 481 | 1676 | 20,571 |
30 June 2006 | 496 | 1701 | 20,739 |
31 March 2006 | 513 | 1721 | 21,026 |
31 December 2005 | 526 | 1747 | 21,343 |
30 September 2005 | 535 | 1770 | 21,684 |
30 June 2005 | 553 | 1801 | 21,846 |
31 March 2005 | 568 | 1838 | 22,159 |
31 December 2004 | 584 | 1850 | 22,231 |
31 December 2003 | 672 | 2031 | 22,734 |
30 June 20031 | 699 | 2122 | 25,221 |
1. Machine numbers peaked in the quarter before the Gambling Act was passed.
GM spending by Society Type - October to December 2007
| Society Type | Total GMP Quarter | % of Total |
| Non-Club | $ 213,470,510.65 | 87.0% |
| Sports Clubs | $ 3,066,651.57 | 1.3% |
| Chartered Clubs | $ 18,893,043.74 | 7.7% |
| RSA's | $ 9,861,119.97 | 4.0% |
| Total Club | $ 31,820,815.28 | 13.0% |
| TOTAL ALL | $ 245,291,325.93 | 100.0% |
Further information, including numbers of venues, machines and expenditure by territorial authority and changes in the quarter, is available from the Department’s Gaming Statistics web page at: www.dia.govt.nz
Media Contact:
Trevor Henry, communications adviser, Department of Internal Affairs
Ph 04 495 7211; cell 0275 843 679
