Pokie takings increase

Proceeds from pub and club gaming machines in the second quarter of this year were $9.1 million or 4.4 per cent more than for the same period last year, according to figures from the Department of Internal Affairs. Spending at 30 June 2016 was $216.1 million compared with $207 million for the April-June quarter 2015; it was also $16.6 million or 8.3 per cent more than the $199.5 million spent in the first three months of this year, a quarter that is traditionally lower.

For the 12 months to 30 June 2016 expenditure totalled $843.5 million – $25.4 million or 3.1 per cent more than the $818.1 million for the year ended 30 June 2015.

There were fewer licence holders, gambling venues and gaming machines at 30 June 2016, compared with 12 months earlier. Over the year licence holders fell 7 per cent from 309 to 287, venues declined 4 per cent from 1266 to 1220, and gaming machines dropped 2 per cent from 16,579 to 16,238.

Non-casino GM spending by Society Type – April - June 2016

The spending is captured through the electronic monitoring of non-casino gaming machines (EMS), which became fully operational in March 2007, enabling the Department to track and monitor operations, ensure the integrity of games and the accurate accounting of money.
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. The figures are based on territorial authority boundaries, including Auckland city.

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