Odds lengthen on finding a gambling venue

There are fewer gambling operators, venues and gaming machines today than in June 2003, just before the Gambling Act was passed, it was revealed yesterday.

Although the act made it easier to obtain a licence, it had also made it easier to lose one, said Keith Manch, the Internal Affairs Department's director of gaming and censorship regulation.

Machine numbers peaked in the quarter before the act was passed in September 2003, said Mr Manch. And the subsequent fall had been the expected.

Before the act was passed machine numbers had increased "significantly" every quarter. "The numbers dropped significantly immediately after the act was passed and then dropped slowly after that," he said.

For the June quarter in 2003 there were 699 gambling operators, 2122 venues and 25,221 gaming machines. In the quarter ended March 31 this year there were 568 operators, 1838 venues and 22,159 machines.

"The act has made it harder to get a gambling licence and easier to lose it," Mr Manch said.

"Most of the recent reductions are from operators deciding not to apply to renew their licences or having renewal applications declined.

"This has reinforced the historical trend towards fewer, but on average, bigger operators," he said.

Gaming machines

2003: 25,221
2005: 22,159

- NZPA