Pokies in Kaikoura: Venues and Gaming Machines
At the end of June 2026, 1 venue in Kaikoura held licences for 15 gaming machines (pokies), according to the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA). A year earlier the district had 1 venue and 15 machines, the same number of venues. Below is every licensed pokie venue in Kaikoura, with its address, venue type and number of machines, followed by what players lost on those machines.
Pokie venues in Kaikoura
| Venue and address | Type | Machines |
|---|---|---|
| Suntrap Lobster Inn Tavern 115 Beach Road, Kaikōura 7300 | Tavern | 15 |
Venues by suburb or town: Kaikōura (1). The largest is Suntrap Lobster Inn Tavern with 15 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 Kaikoura
DIA reports pokie losses for Kaikoura together with Hurunui District, so there is no separate figure; see the Hurunui page.
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 Kaikoura the main licence holders are Aotearoa Gaming Trust (1).
More pokie venues in Canterbury
Christchurch (73) · Selwyn (13) · Waimakariri (11) · Ashburton (11) · Timaru (12) · Hurunui (8) · Mackenzie (4) · Waimate (2) · 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.