Pokies in Thames-Coromandel: Venues and Gaming Machines
At the end of June 2026, 20 venues in Thames-Coromandel held licences for 246 gaming machines (pokies), according to the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA). A year earlier the district had 20 venues and 246 machines, the same number of venues. Below is every licensed pokie venue in Thames-Coromandel, with its address, venue type and number of machines, followed by what players lost on those machines.
Pokie venues in Thames-Coromandel
| Venue and address | Type | Machines |
|---|---|---|
| The Coroglen Tavern 1937 Tairua Whitianga Road, Coroglen, RD 1, Whitianga 3591 | Tavern | 6 |
| Admirals Arms Coromandel 146 Wharf Road, Coromandel 3506 | Tavern | 12 |
| Coromandel Hotel 611 Kapanaga Road, Coromandel, Waikato 2851 | Hotel | 9 |
| Royal Oak Hotel Main Road, Rd5, Coromandel, Waikato 2851 | Hotel | 4 |
| Star & Garter Hotel 5 Kapanga Road, Coromandel, Waikato 2851 | Tavern | 9 |
| Kopu Station Hotel 1 Kopu Road, Kopu, Thames 3578 | Tavern | 8 |
| Pauanui Sports & Recreation Club 31 Sheppard Avenue, Pauanui, Hikuai 3579 | Other Sports Club | 10 |
| Punters Bar and Grill 226 Main Road, Tairua 3508 | Tavern | 9 |
| Thames Coast Bowling Club 8 West Crescent, Te Puru, Thames 3575 | Other Sports Club | 6 |
| Punters Sports Bar 719 Pollen Street, Thames, Waikato 2801 | Tavern | 18 |
| Thames Workingmen’s Club 407 Cochrane Street, Thames 3500 | Workingmen’s Club | 12 |
| The Junction Bar 700 Pollen Street, Thames 3500 | Tavern | 18 |
| The Rocker Box 476 Pollen Street, Thames, Waikato 2801 | Hotel | 14 |
| Whangamata Club 404 Port Road, Whangamata 3620 | Commercial Club | 18 |
| Whangamata Returned Services Association Incorporated Port Road, Whangamata 3620 | RSA Club | 12 |
| Whangamata Sports Bar 100 Casement Road, Whangamata, Waikato 2982 | Tavern | 18 |
| Smoky Pallet 427 Port Road, Whangamatā 3620 | Tavern | 9 |
| Mercury Bay Club 69 Cook Drive, Whitianga 3510 | Commercial Club | 18 |
| Smitty’s Sports Bar & Grill 37 Albert Street, Whitianga, Waikato 3510 | Tavern | 18 |
| Whitianga Hotel 9 Victoria Street, Whitianga 3510 | Tavern | 18 |
Venues by suburb or town: Coromandel (4), Thames (4), Whitianga (3), Whangamata (3), Kopu (1), Pauanui (1), Tairua (1), Whangamatā (1), Te Puru (1), Coroglen (1). 7 of the 20 venues run the maximum of 18 machines. 6 of the 20 venues are clubs (RSA, sports, cosmopolitan or similar); the rest are pubs, hotels, TAB venues and other commercial premises. 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 Thames-Coromandel
Players in Thames-Coromandel lost $2.9 million on pub and club pokies in the April-June 2026 quarter, up 0.6% on $2.9 million in April-June 2025. Over the four quarters to June 2026 the total was $11.8 million (up 0.8% on the previous four quarters). Across New Zealand the figure for the same quarter was $267.1 million, so Thames-Coromandel accounted for 1.1% of national pokie losses outside casinos.
| Quarter | Gaming machine profits |
|---|---|
| Jul-Sep 2024 | $2.9 million |
| Oct-Dec 2024 | $3.0 million |
| Jan-Mar 2025 | $3.0 million |
| Apr-Jun 2025 | $2.9 million |
| Jul-Sep 2025 | $2.8 million |
| Oct-Dec 2025 | $3.1 million |
| Jan-Mar 2026 | $3.0 million |
| Apr-Jun 2026 | $2.9 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 Thames-Coromandel the main licence holders are Pub Charity Limited (4), Aotearoa Gaming Trust (2), Trillian Trust Limited (2).
Looking for somewhere to bet on racing or sport? Our TAB Thames-Coromandel list has every TAB store, pub TAB and club TAB in the district.
More pokie venues in Waikato
Hamilton (23) · Waikato (17) · Waipa (14) · Matamata-Piako (10) · Hauraki (9) · South Waikato (9) · Otorohanga (2) · Waitomo (4) · Taupo (11) · 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.