Annual pokie spend drops

Gaming machine expenditure in the country's 1600 pubs and clubs fell by just over one per cent in the year to June 30, 2008, from an estimated $950 million to $938.3 million, according to figures from the Department of Internal Affairs. In the 2006/07 year gaming machine spending rose about five per cent from $906 million.

This is the first time it has been possible to produce an accurate record of annual pokie expenditure, due to the electronic monitoring of non-casino gaming machines which became fully operational in March 2007. The Department can track and monitor operations, ensuring the integrity of games and the accurate accounting of money.

Expenditure in the three months to 30 June 2008 rose almost six per cent to $231 million compared with a drop of almost 11 per cent from $245.3 million to $218.5 million in the March quarter. June 08 quarter spending was almost three per cent lower than for the same period last year.

Pubs accounted for 86 per cent of the June 08 quarter expenditure at $199 million, with chartered clubs registering 7.9 per cent ($18.3 million), RSAs four per cent ($9.2 million) and sports clubs ($4.5 million) the remainder.

Internal Affairs Director of Gambling Compliance, Mike Hill said the number of gaming machines, which were down on the March 08 quarter, had remained relatively stable since the introduction of electronic monitoring (EMS).

"There is always some fluctuation in venues and gaming machines when these statistics are recorded," Mike Hill said. "They are a snapshot of the sector as at June 30 when there was an abnormally high number of venues transferring due to one society withdrawing from the market. During transfers machines are unlicensed, not operating and therefore not counted."

Licensed gambling operations in pubs and clubs

Date Licence holders Venues Gaming machines
30 Jun 2008 415 1552 19,856
31 Mar 2008 421 1569 20,018
31 Dec 2007 428 1585 20,182
30 Sep 2007 435 1593 20,163
30 Jun 2007 439 1598 20,120
31 Mar 2007 444 1607 20,302
31 Dec 2006 476 1666 20,518
30 Sep 2006 481 1676 20,571
30 Jun 2006 496 1701 20,739
31 Mar 2006 513 1721 21,026
31 Dec 2005 526 1747 21,343
30 Sep 2005 535 1770 21,684
30 Jun 2005 553 1801 21,846
31 Mar 2005 568 1838 22,159
31 Dec 2004 584 1850 22,231
31 Dec 2003 672 2031 22,734
30 Jun 2003(1) 699 2122 25,221
(1)Machine numbers peaked in the quarter before the Gambling Act was passed.

GM spending by Society Type – April to June 2008
Society Type Total GMP Quarter % of Total
Non-Club $198,982,160.68 86.1%
Sports Clubs $4,545,159.04 2.0%
Chartered Clubs $18,252,654.92 7.9%
RSA's $9,231,183.43 4.0%
Total Club $32,028,997.39 13.9%
Total All $231,011,158.07 100.0%

Non-casino GM spending in quarter ended
30 June 2008 $231 m
31 March 2008 $218.5 m
31 December 2007 $245.3 m
30 September 2007 $243.5 m
30 June 2007 $237.7 m

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

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