Pokies in Whanganui: Venues and Gaming Machines
At the end of June 2026, 13 venues in Whanganui held licences for 202 gaming machines (pokies), according to the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA). A year earlier the district had 14 venues and 218 machines, a net change of 1 fewer venue. Below is every licensed pokie venue in Whanganui, with its address, venue type and number of machines, followed by what players lost on those machines.
Pokie venues in Whanganui
| Venue and address | Type | Machines |
|---|---|---|
| Caroline’s Boatshed 181 Somme Parade, Aramoho, Whanganui 4500 | Restaurant | 12 |
| Castlecliff Club 4 Tennyson Street, Castlecliff, Whanganui 4501 | Commercial Club | 15 |
| Castlecliff Hotel 1 Polson Street, Castlecliff, Whanganui 4501 | Tavern | 17 |
| Speedway Garage 45 Anzac Parade, Durie Hill, Whanganui 4500 | Tavern | 18 |
| TAB Whanganui 5B Puriri Street, Gonville, Whanganui 4501 | TAB | 9 |
| Great Kitchen 88 Guyton Street, Wanganui 4500 | Restaurant | 18 |
| The Grand Hotel 99 Guyton Street, Wanganui, Wanganui District 4540 | Tavern | 9 |
| Barracks Sports Bar 170 St Hill Street, Whanganui 4500 | Tavern | 18 |
| Shotz 75 Guyton Street, Whanganui 4500 | Tavern | 18 |
| Sportz Bar 197 Victoria Avenue, Whanganui 4500 | Tavern | 14 |
| St John’s Club 158 Glasgow Street, Whanganui 4500 | Commercial Club | 18 |
| Stellar Bar 2 Victoria Street, Whanganui 4500 | Tavern | 18 |
| Wanganui East Club 101 Wakefield Street, Whanganui East, Whanganui 4500 | Commercial Club | 18 |
Venues by suburb or town: Whanganui (5), Castlecliff (2), Wanganui (2), Aramoho (1), Durie Hill (1), Gonville (1), Whanganui East (1). 7 of the 13 venues run the maximum of 18 machines. 3 of the 13 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 Whanganui
Players in Whanganui lost $3.2 million on pub and club pokies in the April-June 2026 quarter, up 11.4% on $2.9 million in April-June 2025. Over the four quarters to June 2026 the total was $12.3 million (up 0.7% on the previous four quarters). Across New Zealand the figure for the same quarter was $267.1 million, so Whanganui accounted for 1.2% of national pokie losses outside casinos.
| Quarter | Gaming machine profits |
|---|---|
| Jul-Sep 2024 | $3.4 million |
| Oct-Dec 2024 | $3.0 million |
| Jan-Mar 2025 | $2.9 million |
| Apr-Jun 2025 | $2.9 million |
| Jul-Sep 2025 | $3.2 million |
| Oct-Dec 2025 | $3.1 million |
| Jan-Mar 2026 | $2.8 million |
| Apr-Jun 2026 | $3.2 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 Whanganui the main licence holders are New Zealand Community Trust (4), Grassroots Trust Central Limited (1), Castlecliff Club Inc (1).
Looking for somewhere to bet on racing or sport? Our TAB Whanganui list has every TAB store, pub TAB and club TAB in the district.
More pokie venues in Manawatu-Whanganui
Palmerston North (19) · Manawatu (5) · Horowhenua (7) · Rangitikei (4) · Ruapehu (5) · Tararua (7) · 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.