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.
Non-casino GM spending by Society Type – April-June 2010
Society Type Total GMP Quarter % of Total
Non-Club $180,997,910.63 86.3%
Sports Clubs $ 4,244,655.33 2.0%
Chartered Clubs $ 16,368,279.06 7.8%
RSAs $ 8,206,086.57 3.9%
Total Club $ 28,819,020.96 13.7%
Total All $209,816,931.59 100.0%

Non-casino GM spending in quarter ended
30 June 2010 $209.8 m
31 March 2010 $199.9 m
31 December 2009 $218.8 m
30 September 2009 $220.7 m
30 June 2009 $217.3 m
31 March 2009 $208.7 m
31 December 2008 $230.7 m
30 September 2008 $232.3 m
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

Licensed gambling operations in pubs and clubs

Date Licence holders Venues Gaming machines
30 June 2010 370 1455 18,944
31 March 2010 374 1470 19,115
31 Dec 2009 378 1491 19,359
30 Sept 2009 377 1486 19,296
30 June 2009 384 1501 19,479
31 March 2009 394 1527 19,739
31 Dec 2008 399 1537 19,879
30 Sept 2008 405 1551 20,025
30 June 2008 415 1552 19,856
31 March 2008 421 1569 20,018
31 Dec 2007 428 1585 20,182
30 Sept 2007 435 1593 20,163
30 June 2007 439 1598 20,120

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