As politicians in New Zealand negotiate over harm reduction strategies to reduce problem gambling rates, it seems that their work is already being done for them. According to recent reports, club pokie spending has declined by 3% over the course of the past year. From June 2012 to June 2013, non-casino pokie spending fell by 3% from $854 million to $826.3 million.
Although spending increased from $192.7 million to $206.1 in first quarter of 2013, annual spending has fallen overall. This is likely due to the decrease in license holders across the country. In 2012, there were 361 license holders, but by 2013, the number had fallen to 351. The total number of pokie venues fell from 1400 to 1356 and the number of gaming machines decreased to 17,534 from 17,943.
In order to track spending on poker machines, the Department of Internal Affairs uses an electronic monitoring system (EMS) which was implemented in pokie clubs in 2007. The system is used to track players’ spending, as well as ensure that the clubs are maintaining their dedication to fair gaming. Changing attitudes towards pokies and gambling are likely the cause of this decline – in addition to decrease in pokie venues.
Residents are become more aware of the potential harm of gambling, and it seems that recreational players are spending their money more wisely. While these statistics provide a comprehensive overview of the pub pokie market, they provide only a small glimpse of the entire poker machine industry. 87% of the country’s pokies are located in casinos and only 13% are located in clubs.
It is also worrying because Auckland’s new sinking lid policy applies only to clubs, and SkyCity Auckland will be able to add 240 new games. So, casino pokies will continue to take over a significant portion of the electronic gaming market share in the country without being subject to harm minimisation strategies such as sinking policies.
About the Author
