Pokies in Queenstown Lakes: Venues and Gaming Machines
At the end of June 2026, 4 venues in Queenstown Lakes held licences for 53 gaming machines (pokies), according to the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA). A year earlier the district had 3 venues and 44 machines, a net change of 1 more venue. Below is every licensed pokie venue in Queenstown Lakes, with its address, venue type and number of machines, followed by what players lost on those machines.
Pokie venues in Queenstown Lakes
| Venue and address | Type | Machines |
|---|---|---|
| Frankton Arm Tavern 14 Yewlett Crescent, Frankton, Queenstown 9300 | Tavern | 17 |
| The Ballarat 7-9 The Mall, Queenstown 9300 | Tavern | 9 |
| Wanaka Bullock Bar 71 Ardmore Street, Wanaka 9305 | Tavern | 18 |
| Water Bar 145 Ardmore Street, Wanaka 9305 | Tavern | 9 |
Venues by suburb or town: Wanaka (2), Frankton (1), Queenstown (1). 1 of the 4 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 Queenstown Lakes
Players in Queenstown Lakes lost $1.3 million on pub and club pokies in the April-June 2026 quarter, up 45.8% on $865,169 in April-June 2025. Over the four quarters to June 2026 the total was $4.5 million (up 20.8% on the previous four quarters). Across New Zealand the figure for the same quarter was $267.1 million, so Queenstown Lakes accounted for 0.5% of national pokie losses outside casinos.
| Quarter | Gaming machine profits |
|---|---|
| Jul-Sep 2024 | $1.0 million |
| Oct-Dec 2024 | $918,609 |
| Jan-Mar 2025 | $933,958 |
| Apr-Jun 2025 | $865,169 |
| Jul-Sep 2025 | $954,172 |
| Oct-Dec 2025 | $1.1 million |
| Jan-Mar 2026 | $1.2 million |
| Apr-Jun 2026 | $1.3 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 Queenstown Lakes the main licence holders are Aotearoa Gaming Trust (2), The Lion Foundation 2008 (1), Grassroots Trust Limited (1).
Casino in Queenstown Lakes
Queenstown Lakes also has a licensed casino, SkyCity Queenstown, which is not part of the pub and club figures above. Entry is 20 and over; our SkyCity Queenstown guide covers hours, entry rules and games.
Looking for somewhere to bet on racing or sport? Our TAB Queenstown Lakes list has every TAB store, pub TAB and club TAB in the district.
More pokie venues in Otago
Dunedin (24) · Central Otago (9) · Waitaki (11) · Clutha (8) · All of New Zealand
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.