Far North punters have trumped those in Whangarei with their gambling expenditure this year, according to the Department of Internal Affairs. Far North gamblers laid out $3.9 million in the three months to June 30, while those in the Whangarei district spent $3.7 milllion in the same period. The Far North has396 gaming machines, 71 more than the 325 in Whangarei. Since last year, Whangarei's gambling expenditure has dropped by just over 6 per cent, while the Far North has seen an 8 per cent reduction. The Kaipara district also experienced a decline in gambling expenditure to $622,000 in the past 12 months, from $646,000 in the previous year. Gambling Action Group member Ngaire Rae said studies showed a small number of gamblers often made a major contribution to the total figure. "A core group of problem gamblers can be responsible for spending up to 50 per cent of that total amount," she said. Even though it was good news that gambling expenditure was down, "we need to look beyond the stats to what is really going on", Mrs Rae said. When there was no hope in hard economic times, people would turn to addictive vices, such as drinking and gambling, she said. Whangarei gambling expenditure figures follow the national trend of a 5.3 per cent decline from last year and a 4 per cent rise since the first quarter. The district contributed 1.7 per cent of the $217 million New Zealanders spent on gambling in the three months to June 30. Whangarei's Danger Danger bar manager Mark Leslie-Ellis, said patron gambling had declined. Asked about the impact of the reduction, he said: "On a personal level that's a good thing, but otherwise - that's a hard question."
