One room, on the first floor, above the kitchen
The Compass Room is the casino at The Mooring Place: 340 m² on the first floor, reached by the stair beside the lift or by the lift itself. It is for guests and visitors aged 20 and over, and it is the only part of the hotel where that is true.
It was the bond store's upper floor, and it still has the windows the wool went out of — which is unusual for a gaming room and deliberate on our part. You can see the quay, the masts, and the weather coming across the bay. There are clocks on all four walls. Nobody here is trying to make you lose track of the afternoon.
02 — The floor
What you will find in here
The casino games at The Mooring Place come to four kinds: the machines along the inland wall, three table games dealt every night, poker on the nights it runs, and the two high-limit tables behind the north door. That is the whole list.
Gaming machines
Forty-six of them, set along the inland wall in four banks. Modern video slots with the usual feature rounds, a row of eight classic three-reel machines for people who prefer them, and six linked to a progressive jackpot that resets when it goes. Denominations from five cents. Every machine shows its return-to-player figure on the glass, because we would rather you knew it than guessed.
Table games
Seven tables, dealt by our own staff — no rotating agency crews.
| Blackjack | Three tables. Minimum NZ$10 before 7pm, NZ$25 after. Dealer stands on soft 17. |
|---|---|
| Roulette | Two tables, single zero. Minimum NZ$5 inside, NZ$10 outside. |
| Baccarat | One table, punto banco. Minimum NZ$25. |
| Poker | One table, Texas hold'em, Thursday to Sunday from 7pm. Seats nine. |
Live gaming
Every table here is a live table with a live dealer standing at it. That is the whole offering — there is no other kind of casino gaming at The Mooring Place, and there is nothing to play from your room. The The Compass Room exists on the first floor and nowhere else.
The Bosun's Table — VIP gaming
Behind the north door are two high-limit tables in a room that seats twelve comfortably. Blackjack and roulette, limits agreed in advance with the duty manager, and a host who stays with the room while it is open. It is often booked by one party for an evening. Ask at reception, or write to [email protected] a few days ahead.
03 — Practical
Hours, entry, dress
| Hours | Sunday to Thursday, 11am to 2am. Friday and Saturday, 11am to 3am. The room closes at those times and does not extend. |
|---|---|
| Age | 20 and over. This is New Zealand law, not house preference, and there is no discretion in it. |
| ID | Checked every visit, however often you have been. A New Zealand driver licence, a Kiwi Access card, or a passport. |
| Dress | Smart casual. No high-vis, no bare feet, hats off at the tables. Otherwise we are not precious about it. |
| Money | No ATM in the room — the nearest is in the lobby, past reception, about forty metres. No credit, no cheque cashing, no advances against a room account. |
| Drinks | Served at the bar at the north end, not at the machines. Water and tea are free and always out. |
| Photography | Not on the floor. Other guests did not agree to be in your photograph. |
04 — Host responsibility
How we run it
A gaming room in a hotel has obligations under the Gambling Act 2003, and we take the practical ones seriously. Staff on the floor are trained to notice when someone has stopped enjoying themselves — long unbroken sessions, chasing, distress — and to say something. They will not be reprimanded for interrupting a night that has gone wrong.
Self-exclusion is available to anybody who asks. It is confidential, made in writing at reception or by email, and runs for a minimum of six months. You do not need to explain yourself to anyone to arrange it.
Our full host responsibility policy
05 — Stay
Come for the hotel; the room upstairs is there if you want it
Most people who stay with us never open that door, and the hotel is built on that assumption. If you do want an evening of it, the Stay & Play package puts two nights, breakfast and a NZ$40 gaming credit together — the credit is collected at the desk in The Compass Room on presentation of ID, like everything else here.