A smoking ban in gambling clubs in New Zealand has reduced the number of gamblers as the country's poker machine revenue fell 28%.

Brian Smith, president of Clubs New Zealand, said that this ban would reduce about $60 million a year from pub charities to various sports and other community groups.

Local media reports revealed that 58% of the gamblers smoked daily and the ban reduced this drastically. The other factor, which aided in the reduction of the number of gamblers, is the new gambling act which came in to effect in 2003.

This reduced the number of gambling machines by 50%.