Bay's pokie spending drops by $2m

Hawke's Bay gaming machine expenditure dipped 5 per cent in the year to March, with local punters spending nearly $2 million less on them compared to the previous 12 months.

Figures from the Department of Internal Affairs show nearly $36 million was dropped into Hawke's Bay pokie machines, down from $37.9 million in the previous period.

Hawke's Bay regional problem gambling service Te Rangihaeta Oranga Trust said that, while the decline was encouraging, too many people were struggling with the negative effects of problem gambling.

"There's the idea that gambling is fun for most of the people and it's the small percentage of people who have the problem," trust manager Annette Harris said.

"But it affects the community [and] the families they belong to."

A co-ordinated approach with local gaming machine venues and gaming trusts was an important part of helping at-risk gamblers, Ms Harris said.

The figures show the number of Hawke's Bay gaming machines also reduced significantly during the year to March, from 815 to 774.

Nationally, an overall decline in pokie machine expenditure, licence holders, gambling venues and gaming machines is being applauded by New Zealand's anti-gambling foundation.

Pokie spending dropped 4 per cent in the year to March, from $865.4 million to $828.7 million, the figures show.

Licence holder numbers fell from 359 to 353, venue numbers dropped from 1403 to 1367, and the number of gaming machines declined from 18,001 to 17,542.

Problem Gambling Foundation chief executive Graeme Ramsey said: "What it's telling us is that the trend that we've seen for some time - albeit with a couple of minor blips - is still continuing.

"That's good news and I think it's indicative that people are more aware of the dangers that pokie machines pose."

The foundation's communications manager Andree Froude said New Zealand's stellar summer was likely to have contributed to a quarterly decline in pokie expenditure.

In the three months to March, national pokie spending was down 10 per cent compared to the previous three-month period, from $214.6 million to $192.7 million.

"We would expect to see spending go down, particularly as we have had a long, hot summer and people are more likely to be doing summer, outdoor activities rather than spending time in a pub or club using pokie machines," Ms Froude said.

However, pokie addiction among young New Zealanders was an increasing concern for the foundation, she said.

"Younger people can think that because they are good at [computer] gaming they will also be good at gambling on pokies, especially where these have similar graphics to the games they are used to playing."

A "big win" was also likely to draw a young player in, making them more susceptible to addiction, she warned.

- additional reporting Matthew Theunissen