Pokies and Slot Machine Information

Pokies regulation tightens in New Zealand

June 11, 2006 on 12:15 pm | In Slot machine overviews |

The regulation of pokies in New Zealand has historically been quite poor. Perhaps not realising the potential for misuse of gaming machines, the New Zealand Government has allowed tens of thousands of pokies into the country but with very little regulatory oversight.

Compare this situation to Australia, where all machines in most states are linked into central mainframes and every event, down to the tiniest change or gameplay, is logged.

One pokies venue in New Zealand is not happy about the changes, claiming its machines are too old to upgrade:

“RSAs are being forced into debt to pay for government-ordered electronic upgrades of their poker machines, which many rely on for welfare payments to old soldiers”

Stuff NZ

The one time upgrade will ultimately be worthwhile for all venues. At the moment charities in New Zealand are large beneficiaries from pokies turnover. In Australia it is the various governments pocketing most of the profit.

It almost makes you wonder whether the ultimate goal behind the forced upgrades is to put in place a suitably tight audit environment so the New Zealand Government can increase its take. Every time it looks across the Tasman it must be highly envious of the billions of dollars of pokies tax revenues garnered by the states here.