Pokie takings up on a year ago

Pokie takings up on a year ago

Proceeds from pub and club gaming machines in the first three months of this year were $6.3 million or three per cent higher than for the same period last year, according to figures from the Department of Internal Affairs. Spending at 31 March 2016 was $199.5 million compared with $193.2 million for the January-March quarter 2015. But, in line with annual trends, gamblers spent less in the first quarter of 2016 compared with the last quarter of 2015.

There were fewer licence holders, gambling venues and gaming machines at 31 March 2016, compared with 12 months earlier. Over the year licence holders fell 6 per cent from 312 to 292, venues declined 4 per cent from 1277 to 1224, and gaming machines dropped 2 per cent from 16,614 to 16,274.

Between the fourth quarter of 2015 and the first quarter of 2016 spending dropped almost $15 million, from $214.4 million at the end of December to $199.5 million at 31 March 2016, licence holders fell from 300 to 292, venues declined from 1238 to 1224 and the number of gaming machines decreased from 16,393 to 16,274.

Non-casino GM spending by Society Type – January-March 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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