Casinos in Wellington

Wellington has no licensed casino. It’s the largest New Zealand city without a casino, and no casino licence has ever been issued for Wellington under the Gambling Act 2003 or its predecessor legislation. The Wellington region hosts roughly 130 licensed pokies venue, pubs and clubs permitted to run between 1 and 18 pokies machine. This guide explains why Wellington has no casino, where to find the nearest one, and the full pokies venue picture across the wider Wellington region.

Is there a licensed casino in Wellington?

No. Wellington has no licensed casino. The Gambling Act 2003 caps the total number of casino licences in New Zealand at six, and all six are currently held by operators outside Wellington: SkyCity Auckland, SkyCity Hamilton, SkyCity Wharf Queenstown, Wharf Casino Queenstown, Christchurch Casino, and Grand Casino Dunedin. Wellington has never been the site of a Class 3 licence.

The Gambling Act 2003 hasn’t issued a new casino licence since 1996, and the legislative cap at six remains unchanged. The six existing licences are tied to specific locations in specific cities, so a new Wellington casino would require fresh legislative authorisation to increase the cap rather than a simple reassignment. No such reform is currently before the New Zealand Parliament.

The nearest licensed casino to Wellington is Christchurch Casino at 30 Victoria Street, Christchurch Central. The practical journey is a 45-minute Cook Strait flight or a day-long ferry-and-drive crossing via Picton and State Highway 1. The second-nearest option is SkyCity Hamilton, reachable by an 80-minute flight or an eight-hour drive north through the central North Island.

Where are the pokies venues in Wellington?

Pokies venue in the Wellington region spread across Wellington CBD, Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt, Porirua, and the Kapiti Coast. The Wellington city area hosts roughly 50 pokies venue, and the wider region brings the total to around 130.

• Wellington CBD: roughly 20 pokies venue, clustered around Courtenay Place, Cuba Street, Dixon Street, and the Lambton Quay hospitality strip. Most CBD venues are pubs and sports clubs with between 9 and 18 pokies machine.
• Lower Hutt: roughly 25 pokies venue across central Hutt, Petone, Avalon, and Wainuiomata. Petone’s pub strip along Jackson Street accounts for a large share of the Hutt Valley Class 4 count.
• Upper Hutt: roughly 12 pokies venue, including pubs and RSAs across the city centre and its Totara Park and Silverstream suburbs.
• Porirua: roughly 18 pokies venue, covering Porirua Central, Titahi Bay, Cannons Creek, and Whitby.
• Kapiti Coast: roughly 15 pokies venue across Paraparaumu, Waikanae, Ōtaki, and Raumati. The Kapiti Coast venues serve the commuter-belt population plus the summer-visitor economy.
• Wairarapa: roughly 10 pokies venue across Masterton, Carterton, and Greytown.

The DIA register at dia.govt.nz/Gambling-Class-4 is the authoritative venue list. Counts above reflect the Q1 2026 snapshot and are subject to quarterly refresh. Full detail on what a Class 4 licence requires sits on the pokies venue page.

What hours do pokies venues in Wellington operate?

Pokies venue in Wellington typically run from late morning (10am to 11am) until 11pm or midnight, consistent with the national Class 4 licence pattern. The gaming-room closing time tracks the parent pub’s liquor licence, and no pokies venue is legally permitted to run 24 hours.

No 24-hour gaming is available in Wellington because no casino is licensed there. Casino are the only venue class authorised for 24-hour gaming under the Gambling Act 2003, and Wellington holds no Class 3 licence. SkyCity Auckland and Christchurch Casino are the only 24-hour gaming venues in New Zealand.

Most Wellington pubs close their gaming rooms at 11pm or midnight on weekdays. Courtenay Place and Cuba Street venues with later liquor licences sometimes extend gaming-room hours by one hour on Fridays and Saturdays. Sunday gaming is available at every pokies venue with a typical later start (11am to noon).

How do I find a pokies venue near me in Wellington?

The DIA publishes the authoritative pokies venue register at dia.govt.nz/Gambling-Class-4, searchable by suburb, venue name, or licensee. Every DIA-licensed Wellington region gaming venue is listed with its exact address and licence-holding operator.

For quick Wellington-specific lookup, use the suburb index above. Wellington’s pokies venue footprint spans the city, the Hutt Valley, Porirua, Kapiti Coast, and Wairarapa. The region is wider than most people assume when they think “Wellington pokies”. The scope and mechanics of Class 4 licensing sit on the pokies venue page.

If you’re unsure whether a Wellington venue is DIA-licensed, check the signage inside the gaming room. Every pokies venue must display its DIA licence number and Gambling Helpline NZ signage (0800 654 655). Unlicensed gambling can be reported to the DIA on 0800 257 887.

What games are available at Wellington pokies venues?

Wellington pokies venues offer pokies machine only. No table games are available in Wellington because table games are exclusive to casino, and Wellington has no Class 3 licence. A Wellington player looking for live blackjack, roulette, baccarat, or poker must travel to one of the five casino cities: Auckland, Hamilton, Queenstown, Christchurch, or Dunedin.

Every pokies venue in Wellington runs between 1 and 18 pokies machine under a $2.50 maximum stake per spin. Machine selection depends on the supplier contract at each venue. Common titles include reel-based pokies and multi-line video pokies certified to DIA technical standards. Machines at Wellington venues are supplied and serviced by licensed gaming trusts such as Lion Foundation, Pub Charity, and The Trusts Community Foundation.

For a full rules and house-edge explainer covering both casino table games and Class 4 pokies, see the NZ casino games guide. For the nearest licensed casino offering live table games, see Christchurch Casino.

What responsible gambling support is available in Wellington?

Gambling Helpline NZ (0800 654 655) is available 24/7 from anywhere in New Zealand, including Wellington and the wider Wellington region. The service is free, confidential, and funded by the Ministry of Health. The Problem Gambling Foundation runs Wellington-based counsellors and delivers harm-reduction programmes across the Wellington region.

Pokies venue across Wellington support single-venue self-exclusion under the DIA’s host-responsibility rules. Exclusion periods are typically set at six months, twelve months, or two years. Because Wellington has no licensed casino, the national multi-venue casino exclusion scheme has no direct Wellington venue. A Wellington player seeking multi-venue casino exclusion must apply at Christchurch Casino or another Class 3 venue.

Every pokies venue in Wellington must display Gambling Helpline NZ signage inside the gaming room, provide host-responsibility-trained staff during gaming hours, and prohibit ATMs on the gaming floor. For the full list of Wellington and national support services, exclusion procedures, and crisis lines, see the responsible gambling page.

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