For the fourth consecutive year, spending on slot machines in New Zealand increased, according to Department of Internal Affairs figures. For the fiscal year ending September 30, slots proceeds increased 3.4 percent from 8 million to 6.5 million, despite a 4.2 percent drop in the number of gaming venues to 1, 163. The number of slot machines also fell 3.1 percent to 15,717 during the fiscal year. In addition, license holders declined from a peak of 361 in September 2012 to 263 in September 2017.
The Department of Internal Affairs commissioned an independent analysis to find out why slot-machine spending steadily has grown since 2013. One factor, according to the report from BERL consultants, was the addition of Standalone Progressive Prize machines.
“Expenditure might be expected to increase as GDP, population, employment, earnings, consumer confidence and the number of international visitors increase, but the opposite appears to be true,” the report stated.
