New Zealanders spent quarter of a billion dollars on gambling in the final months of 2020 - the highest figure on record.
This is according to new figures from the Department of Internal Affairs which show a significant increase in Gaming Machine Profits in the final quarter of last year.
The quarterly take was $252 million making it the most since records began in 2007.
That is despite there being 75 fewer pokie machines than the previous year, and 12 fewer venues.
But due to COVID-19, spend on pokies and casinos dropped in 2020, while online gambling for Lotto increased.
Overall, annual gambling profits were down $128m last year.
RNZ
