Gambling policies

Council has two gambling policies that set the number and location of pokie machines and TAB venues in Palmerston North.

The policies try to balance the social costs of gambling with the benefits from the community grants made by gambling trusts.

The class 4 gambling venue policy relates to pokies (gaming machines) in pubs and clubs. It is used to decide whether Council will give consent to any new venue, and how many gaming machines the venue is allowed to operate.

The TAB venue policy is used to decide whether Council will give consent to any new TAB venues in Palmerston North. It relates to stand-alone TAB venues, not TAB terminals or kiosks inside pubs.

Council is required by law to adopt these policies, and to review them every 3 years. They will next be reviewed in 2026-27.