Gaming machine spend lifts
27 April 2011
Gaming machine expenditure in the country’s 1400 pubs and clubs has staged a small recovery in the first three months of 2011 compared with the same time last year. This is the first time since 2008 that the first quarter spend ($205.1 million) has been up on the previous year’s first quarter ($199.9 million), according to figures released by the Department of Internal Affairs.
Spending usually drops over the summer months and this year was no exception with the take 5 per cent down – from $215.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2010 to $205.1 million at 31 March 2011.
Nationwide there were fewer operators, venues and gaming machines compared with a year earlier – 365 operators (374 at 31 March 2010), 1430 venues (1470) and 18,484 gaming machines (19,115).
The Canterbury earthquake on 22 February affected about a quarter of Christchurch’s pub gaming machine venues. Expenditure in the city for the first three months of 2011 was $19 million – $1.2 million less than for the last quarter of 2010 but $600,000 more than a year earlier.
Internal Affairs’ Acting General Manager for Regulatory and Compliance Operations, Mike Hill, said gambling increased significantly in many Christchurch venues not affected by the earthquake. It reflects similar trends across the hospitality industry in Christchurch.
“There are likely to be many reasons for this including the closure of the Christchurch Casino. Some patrons may be particularly vulnerable in the post-earthquake environment and the Department asks gaming machine societies to remind venues of their host responsibility obligations and to be proactive over any changes in gambling behaviour.”
Gaming machine spending in pubs and clubs is monitored electronically, enabling the Department to track and monitor non-casino operations, ensure the integrity of games and the accurate accounting of money. The electronic monitoring system (EMS) became fully operational in March 2007.
| Society Type | Total GMP Quarter | % of Total |
Non-Club | 177,574,763.53 | 86.6% |
| Sports Clubs | 3,936,725.80 | 1.9% |
| Chartered Clubs | 15,974,027.69 | 7.8% |
| RSAs | 7,629,224.89 | 3.7% |
Total Club | 27,539,978.38 | 13.4% |
Total All | 205,114,741.91 | 100.0% |
Non-casino GM spending in quarter ended
| 31 March 2011 | $205.1 m |
| 31 December 2010 | $215.8 m |
| 30 September 2010 | $215.2 m |
| 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 |
31 March 2011 | 365 | 1430 | 18,484 |
31 Dec 2010 | 367 | 1443 | 18,681 |
30 Sept 2010 | 369 | 1438 | 18,601 |
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. The figures are based on territorial authority boundaries that existed prior to the new Auckland super city.
Media contact:
Trevor Henry, communications adviser, Department of Internal Affairs
Ph 04 495 7211; cell 0275 843 679
