An increase in gaming machine spend reflects a strong New Zealand economy according to Bruce Robertson, chair of the Class 4 Gaming Working Party. The increase could also correspond to an upswing in immigration and tourism as the key factors in the recent 2.5 percent increase in non-casino gaming machine spending seen in recent figures released by the Department of Internal Affairs.
“Areas such as Auckland, Queenstown and the Bay of Plenty have benefitted from strong economic growth, population increases and a rise in tourist numbers. These are the regions where we see the largest increases in gaming spend. At the same time, in areas that have not seen recent growth, such as Taranaki and Waikato, gaming spend is down,” said Robertson.
