Pokie spend drops over year
29 January 2010
Gaming machine expenditure in the country’s 1500 pubs and clubs in the year ended December 2009 decreased 5.2 per cent compared to 2008, according to figures released by the Department of Internal Affairs. Spending dropped from $912.6 million in 2008 to $865.5 million in 2009.
Spending in the fourth quarter of 2009 dropped almost 1 per cent on the September quarter and, at $218.8 million, was 5.2 per cent lower than the $230.7 million spent in the December 2008 quarter.
There were fewer licence holders, gambling venues and gaming machines at the end of 2009 compared with 12 months earlier although they were up slightly on the September quarter. Licence holders in the 12 months to December 2009 fell 5 per cent from 399 to 378, venues dropped 3 per cent from 1537 to 1491 and gaming machines were also 3 per cent down from 19,879 to 19,359.
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.
| Society Type | Total GMP Quarter | % of Total |
Non-Club | $188,972,235.85 | 86.4% |
| Sports Clubs | $ 4,422,322.64 | 2.0% |
| Chartered Clubs | $ 16,904,056.47 | 7.7% |
| RSAs | $ 8,468,560.49 | 3.9% |
Total Club | $ 29,794,939.60 | 13.6% |
Total All | $218,767,175.45 | 100.0% |
Non-casino GM spending in quarter ended
| 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 |
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 |
31 March 2007 | 444 | 1607 | 20,302 |
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
Media contact:
Trevor Henry, communications adviser, Department of Internal Affairs
Ph 04 495 7211; cell 0275 843 679
