Wairarapa punters spend less on pokies

Wairarapa punters dropped $6.8 million into the pokies last year, new figures reveal.

But our love affair with the highly addictive machines appears to be waning, with gaming expenditure and machine numbers across the region in decline.

According to the Department of Internal Affairs, the amount squandered on Wairarapa pokies last year dropped 5.6 per cent from the $7.2 million spent the previous year.

Carterton led the way with a significant 10.7 per cent drop in expenditure, followed by Masterton with a 4.9 per cent fall. South Wairarapa pokies expenditure was virtually unchanged.

The number of gaming venues across the region also dropped, from 19 to 17, bringing the number of machines down from 238 to 227 year-on-year.

However, Trust House community support manager Craig Thomson said a number of local organisations wouldn't exist without funding from gambling proceeds.

"Last year $2.8 million [in grants] went to Wairarapa, Rimutaka and Flaxmere ... so it's huge for the community. If the funds go down, then the grants go down."

Venues were expected to contribute at least 37 per cent of their machine profits, but most chose to give more, Mr Thomson said.

However, it was a double-edged sword, he said.

"If the grant income drops, that's a good thing because there's not so many people gambling."

Trust House encouraged problem gamblers to "self-exclude" from venues, and to seek professional help.

Nationally, machine numbers fell from 17,670 to 17,266 and gambling spend fell 3.3 per cent from $839.7 million to $811.6 million. Pokies are New Zealand's most harmful form of gambling.