The Far North’s 17 gambling venues accounted for $195,930,218 of that.
The department’s director of gambling regulatory services, Vicki Scott, said the total money lost by people playing the pokies in Northland was over $40.4 million.
The $40,402,391 lost is more than three times the budget of the new Kaikohe Library and Civic Hub, which was priced at $12.9m.
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Frood said because of the remoteness of some of their clients, online gambling was quickly becoming the preferred method.
“At least 75% of my clients that are Māori gamble…