Skip to main content

DIA Study Finds Kiwis Spent $2.4 Billion on Gambling in 2018

Recently updated on March 2nd, 2019

The New Zealand department of internal affairs (DIA) released figures on the 2018 spending habits of New Zealanders on 28 February. It found that they spent a total of $2.4 billion on gambling alone last year. This is the equivalent of every person in the country spending around $648 on this pastime.

The DIA’s figures also show that the majority of this spending is at pokie machines across the country. A total of $895 million was spun on the reels of these machines.

DIA pokie machines costing Kiwis

DIA Records Steady Decline in Gambling Spending

The total amount spent on gambling in 2018 is around $49 million. But, once inflation and population growth are factored in, there is a slight decrease compared to 2017. Despite this slight decrease and falling expenditure on gambling in New Zealand, these figures still highlight the issue of problem gambling. Advocacy groups say that the levels of harm related to problem gambling have remained the same for decades.

Officials have focused their efforts to reduce the number of pokie machines in the country. But, their interventions seem to be slow on the uptake. Total spending on pokies per person went down by only $4 from $242 in 2017 to $238 in 2018.

Other Gambling Industries are Growing

Four casinos had record years in 2018, with nearly $580 million going to New Zealand’s six casinos. Sports and racing betting got a share of $350 million. This was the largest growth of any part of the gambling industry. The DIA attributes this to better marketing campaigns, the FIFA World Cup, and a growth in online betting.

DIA May Record Drop but Problem Gambling Remains Steady

Even though the levels of spending on gambling has fallen over the past 15 years, levels of gambling-related harm remain steady. Director of AUT’s Gambling and Addictions Research Centre, Professor Max Abbott said it was because of a large number of relapses. Abbott estimates that about half to two-thirds of problem gamblers were people who had broken the habit and fallen back in.

For more on the latest New Zealand casino and gambling news, visit our news section.



Related Posts

Bede Gaming Seals a Deal with AGS

Bede Gaming Seals a Deal with AGS

Recently updated on February 14th, 2019Bede Gaming casino software and platform provider was founded in 2011. The gaming software provider is not really a newbie in the industry.  However, it is a relatively new when compared to some of the long-standing leading names in the gambling markets. At this stage of the game, tactical partnerships […]

Nevada Gaming Commission Rules Minor League Baseball Game Wagers

Minor League Baseball Game Wagers

Recently updated on April 9th, 2019On Thursday, the Las Vegas Aviators started their baseball season. Prior to the season beginning, the Nevada Gaming Commission decided to remove a provision rolled out 34 years back which precluded bookies from the state from taking bets on professional baseball games played in the state. Now, bettors can happily […]

Is Keno a Bad Bet?

Is Keno a Bad Bet Online?

Recently updated on August 25th, 2022Playing keno is a bad bet if you’re planning on winning large sums of money these days, but not for the reasons you think. Most online gambling sites offer the game to players because it’s good for their bottom line, just not yours. While it’s fun to play a few […]