G3-247 Report NEW ZEALAND
deal was approved. The casino currently has 36 tables and 500 slots and the licence runs until 2019 and it is located in the Victoria Street district.
Through Christchurch Casino SKyCity has an effective 15 per cent interest in Dunedin Casino Limited which runs until 2024. The casino is operated by a subsidiary of Dunedin Casino Limited.
WHARF CASINOwas operated by Otago Casinos Limited and was purchased for $5m by SkyCity in May last year. The Wharf Casino has 86 slots and six gaming tables and is centrally located in Queenstown’s business district. It closed in December last year for a refurbish- ment and also houses the Waterfront Bar and Bistro.
DUNEDIN CASINOoffers opulent gaming rooms under a glass dome roof. In 1999 the former hotel designed by Italian architect Louis Boldini back in 1883, underwent a large restoration and the casino emerged. Today it sits in the heart of the Southern Cross Hotel complex and it offers a gaming area with 180 slots.
CHANGES AHEAD Over the last five years expenditure on the pokies has
5 0
dropped by around $178m mainly through a reduction in the number of gaming venues.
The lotteries, for instance, has grown by $150m in the same period through the introduction of new games and greater jackpots. However one issue is that the pokies sector cannot advertise or promote their business like the lottery.
Sports betting has also grown by over $30m through the addition of more sports betting options and the use of internet gambling. Casino gambling is down by $34m.
The gaming landscape is changing and so is the growing prevalence of internet gaming.
In September last year Internal Affairs Minister Chris Tremain released a public consultation document on proposals in a bid to improve the framework for Class 4 gambling. The proposals saw 114 submissions from Class 4 societies, venues and councils with further ideas.
The main idea behind the proposals is to: 3. Increase transparency and compliance of grant infor-
1. Deliver more funding for the community – looking at ways to increase the minimum rate of return in order to increase financial benefits to the community.
2. Lower compliance costs – ensuring that the money available to be returned to community purposes is maximised by developing a more efficient and effec- tive venue compensation model.
01 At the moment the community must distribute a minimum rate of 37.12 per cent to community projects. The remainder is divided between 25 per cent in gaming duty and levies, two per cent in licensing and machine fees, 16 per cent maximum venue payments and 20 per cent expenses.
02 There are various options to increase this distribution which includes an increase of between 40 and 43 per cent rate with staggered rates for the following years.
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