Pokies in Marlborough: Venues and Gaming Machines
At the end of June 2026, 13 venues in Marlborough held licences for 156 gaming machines (pokies), according to the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA). A year earlier the district had 13 venues and 174 machines, the same number of venues. Below is every licensed pokie venue in Marlborough, with its address, venue type and number of machines, followed by what players lost on those machines.
Pokie venues in Marlborough
| Venue and address | Type | Machines |
|---|---|---|
| Biddy Kates 2 Market Street, Blenheim, Marlborough 7273 | Hotel | 18 |
| Fairweathers Bar & Restaurant 36 Scott Street, Blenheim, Marlborough 7273 | Tavern | 9 |
| Waterfront Bar & Grill 7 Grove Road, Blenheim, Marlborough 7201 | Hotel | 18 |
| Pelorus Tavern 21 Wakamarina Road, Canvastown, Havelock 7178 | Hotel | 3 |
| Havelock Hotel 54 Main Road, Havelock, Marlborough 7154 | Hotel | 9 |
| Grove Tavern 77 Grove Road, Mayfield, Blenheim 7201 | Tavern | 18 |
| The Barn Bar & Grill 48 High Street, Picton, Marlborough 7372 | Restaurant | 9 |
| The Crow Tavern 17 Nelson Square, Picton 7220 | Tavern | 9 |
| The Thirsty Pig 27 High Street, Picton 7220 | Tavern | 0 |
| The Waitohi 7 Auckland Street, Picton, Marlborough 7372 | Tavern | 9 |
| Redwood Tavern 70 Cleghorn Street, Redwoodtown, Blenheim 7201 | Tavern | 18 |
| Woodbourne Tavern High Street, Renwick, Marlborough 7204 | Hotel | 18 |
| Springlands Tavern 16 Boyce Street, Springlands, Blenheim 7201 | Tavern | 18 |
Venues by suburb or town: Picton (4), Blenheim (3), Mayfield (1), Havelock (1), Canvastown (1), Redwoodtown (1), Springlands (1), Renwick (1). 6 of the 13 venues run the maximum of 18 machines. The Gambling Act 2003 caps a pub or club at 18 machines, and venues first licensed after 17 October 2001 at 9 unless the Minister approved more.
How much players lose on pokies in Marlborough
Players in Marlborough lost $3.0 million on pub and club pokies in the April-June 2026 quarter, up 6.0% on $2.9 million in April-June 2025. Over the four quarters to June 2026 the total was $12.0 million (up 4.4% on the previous four quarters). Across New Zealand the figure for the same quarter was $267.1 million, so Marlborough accounted for 1.1% of national pokie losses outside casinos.
| Quarter | Gaming machine profits |
|---|---|
| Jul-Sep 2024 | $3.1 million |
| Oct-Dec 2024 | $2.8 million |
| Jan-Mar 2025 | $2.7 million |
| Apr-Jun 2025 | $2.9 million |
| Jul-Sep 2025 | $3.2 million |
| Oct-Dec 2025 | $2.9 million |
| Jan-Mar 2026 | $2.9 million |
| Apr-Jun 2026 | $3.0 million |
Who runs the machines and where the money goes
Pokies in pubs and clubs are class 4 gambling. Only a corporate society, such as a community trust or a club, can hold the licence, and the profit after tax and costs must go to authorised purposes such as community grants. In Marlborough the main licence holders are Pub Charity Limited (5), Pelorus Trust (3), The Lion Foundation 2008 (2).
Looking for somewhere to bet on racing or sport? Our TAB Marlborough list has every TAB store, pub TAB and club TAB in the district.
Before you play
If gambling is costing more than you planned, the Gambling Helpline is free and open 24/7 on 0800 654 655 or by free text to 8006. Under section 310 of the Gambling Act 2003 a venue manager must, when you ask, issue an exclusion order that bars you from the gambling area of that venue for up to 2 years. More options are on our gambling help page.
Prefer to play from home? Our online pokies guide explains how online pokies differ from pub machines, and our gambling law page covers what is legal in New Zealand.
Source: Department of Internal Affairs, Quarterly List of Venues and Gaming Machines (June 2026) and Class 4 Gambling Expenditure by Quarter and District, published on data.govt.nz. Gaming machine profits (GMP) are the amounts players put into the machines minus the prizes paid out, before tax and grants. Opening hours are not part of the DIA data; check with the venue.