Pokies in Whakatane: Venues and Gaming Machines
At the end of June 2026, 11 venues in Whakatane held licences for 175 gaming machines (pokies), according to the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA). A year earlier the district had 11 venues and 170 machines, the same number of venues. Below is every licensed pokie venue in Whakatane, with its address, venue type and number of machines, followed by what players lost on those machines.
Pokie venues in Whakatane
| Venue and address | Type | Machines |
|---|---|---|
| Plains Hotel 11-19 College Road, Edgecumbe 3120 | Tavern | 18 |
| Matatā Hotel 47 Arawa Street, Matata, Whakatane 3194 | Hotel | 12 |
| Murupara Hotel 18 Pine Drive, Murupara 3025 | Hotel | 18 |
| Aribar 80 The Strand, Whakatane 3120 | Tavern | 9 |
| Kope Turf Bar 7-9 James Street, Whakatane 3120 | Tavern | 18 |
| Whakatane RSA Club 13/23 Richardson Street, Whakatane, Whakatane 3120 | RSA Club | 16 |
| Cobb & Co Whakatane 79-81 the Strand, Whakatane Central, Whakatane 3120 | Tavern | 18 |
| Whakatane Hotel 79 the Strand, Whakatane Central, Whakatane 3080 | Hotel | 18 |
| Whakatane Sportfishing Club Muriwai Drive, Whakatane Central, Whakatane 3080 | Other Sports Club | 14 |
| The Quart House Bar 115 The Strand, Whakatāne 3120 | Tavern | 18 |
| Ohope Beach Tavern 7 Bluett Road, Ōhope 3121 | Tavern | 16 |
Venues by suburb or town: Whakatane (3), Whakatane Central (3), Matata (1), Murupara (1), Ōhope (1), Edgecumbe (1), Whakatāne (1). 6 of the 11 venues run the maximum of 18 machines. 2 of the 11 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 Whakatane
Players in Whakatane lost $3.4 million on pub and club pokies in the April-June 2026 quarter, up 7.9% on $3.1 million in April-June 2025. Over the four quarters to June 2026 the total was $12.8 million (up 6.0% on the previous four quarters). Across New Zealand the figure for the same quarter was $267.1 million, so Whakatane accounted for 1.3% of national pokie losses outside casinos.
| Quarter | Gaming machine profits |
|---|---|
| Jul-Sep 2024 | $3.1 million |
| Oct-Dec 2024 | $3.0 million |
| Jan-Mar 2025 | $2.8 million |
| Apr-Jun 2025 | $3.1 million |
| Jul-Sep 2025 | $3.2 million |
| Oct-Dec 2025 | $3.2 million |
| Jan-Mar 2026 | $3.0 million |
| Apr-Jun 2026 | $3.4 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 Whakatane the main licence holders are The Lion Foundation 2008 (4), Aotearoa Gaming Trust (2), Grassroots Trust Limited (1).
Looking for somewhere to bet on racing or sport? Our TAB Whakatane list has every TAB store, pub TAB and club TAB in the district.
More pokie venues in Bay of Plenty
Tauranga (28) · Western Bay of Plenty (8) · Rotorua (23) · Kawerau (2) · Opotiki (4) · 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.