Annual pokie spend continues down

For the third year running gaming machine expenditure in the country’s 1455 pubs and clubs has dropped, according to figures from the Department of Internal Affairs. In the year ended 30 June 2010 expenditure fell 4.5 per cent from $889 million at 30 June 2009 to $849.2 million at 30 June 2010. Since June 2007 expenditure has fallen by over 10 per cent.

But the second quarter of this year was higher than the first with spending up 5 per cent or almost $10 million to $209.8 million in the three months to 30 June from $199.9 million in the March ‘10 quarter. It was similar story last year when the second quarter showed a 4 per cent increase in expenditure on the first.

There were fewer licence holders, gambling venues and gaming machines at the end of the June year. Licence holders dropped 4 per cent from 384 to 370, venues dropped 3 per cent from 1501 to 1455 and gaming machines were also 3 per cent down from 19,479 to 18,944.

The Department tracks and monitors non-casino gaming machine operations and captures spending through electronic monitoring (EMS), ensuring the integrity of games and the accurate accounting of money. EMS became fully operational in March 2007.

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

ENDS