The application for nine electronic gaming machines at Luggate Hotel was declined by the Queenstown Lakes District Council last week after staff confirmed the pub was located in a residential zone, not a commercial one, and so the council’s policy prohibited the machines.
Contacted by Allied Media after the council decision, Luggate Hotel co-owner Russell Lilley was philosophical.
‘‘I really don’t want to cause any trouble.
‘‘There’s nothing we can do about it,’’ Mr Lilley said.
‘‘If that’s their way of running the outfit and that’s the law, well, we’ve got to abide by that.
‘‘As much as I don’t agree with it ... we’ve got to move on and try and make it a wee bit more successful or make it better for the community.’’
Mr Lilley said he owned a pub in Rolleston, where he had 18 electronic gaming machines and one in Dunsandel, which also had gaming machines.
He had spent 30 years in the hospitality industry and found the machines to be highly regulated.
While a fraction of the profits went to the business that hosted them, the government and community organisations took the majority of the profits from the machines, he said.
‘‘It’s probably the only thing left that the actual community can get money out of, really,’’ he said.
‘‘It’s all about community, you’ve got to look after community.
‘‘And that’s all we try and do.’’
A staff report presented at the meeting states there are five licensed venues operating 56 electronic gaming machines in the Queenstown Lakes district.
If consent were granted, there would be 65 machines in total and the hotel would be the only venue in Luggate to operate them.
The report states there are ‘‘around 699’’ people living in Luggate and the addition of the machines would mean there would be ‘‘one machine for every 78 people’’.
The council vote to decline the application on Thursday was unanimous.
