Western Bulldogs set to double its poker machine numbers ahead of equalisation talks

[Ghost Dog]

We can never truly call ourselves a community club until we are free of them. Sadly, I can't see this happening.
Those of us who know well the lower socio economic end of things know well all the typical stories associated with pokies.

[chef]

They(and gambling as a whole) are a cancer on the community.

[Axe Man]

I actually admire North for their stance. Hate them in every other way, but on pokies they are competition-leading.

I read an interesting little snippet on BF regarding North's pokies stance. I have no idea whether it's true or not but as written by "cammo78":

One club doesn't have pokies - Norf - and don't let them have you believe it's due to a moral decision on their behalf - they had a truckload of pokies in a venue they couldn't turn a profit from (the Captain's Bar at Etihad, which not surprisingly, doesn't draw a crowd on anything but match days). So - their pokies were haemmorhaging money and they had to cut their losses, that is the nuts and bolts of it. In true Norf form, however, they have taken a holier than thou stance on the whole thing.

[boydogs]

I read an interesting little snippet on BF regarding North's pokies stance. I have no idea whether it's true or not but as written by "cammo78":

A lot of their corporate social responsibility program was developed in partnership with Peter Scanlon. Reading between the lines, he makes it a prerequisite of his support for the club

http://www.glv.org.au/downloads/File...%20Scanlon.pdf

[SonofScray]

We can never truly call ourselves a community club until we are free of them. Sadly, I can't see this happening.
Those of us who know well the lower socio economic end of things know well all the typical stories associated with pokies.

I agree. I take a hard line on the pokies issue, full in the knowledge of our reliance, because of our branding as a team of the West and a community Club. It lacks congruency. I think the current environment and entrenched reliance on gaming revenue also has stifled innovation and the opportunity to create new revenue streams. Not just for us, but it'd give me great pride if we were one Club to buck the trend and thrive anyway.

Small consolation is that the pokies in this article are not in our community.

[bornadog]

I agree. I take a hard line on the pokies issue, full in the knowledge of our reliance, because of our branding as a team of the West and a community Club. It lacks congruency. I think the current environment and entrenched reliance on gaming revenue also has stifled innovation and the opportunity to create new revenue streams. Not just for us, but it'd give me great pride if we were one Club to buck the trend and thrive anyway.

Small consolation is that the pokies in this article are not in our community.

NSW have had the big clubs with pokies for a long time. The culture there seems to be alot different than here with the big clubs having lots of different entertainment, various eating outlets as well as the pokies. It seems more like a family night out. Not sure if anyone has been to the Penrith leagues club. I was up there a few years ago when my daughter was playing sport at the Penrith Rowing centre. A few families went to the Penrith club one night for a meal and I was amazed at the size of the venue and the activities available. I didn't see a pokie machine in sight, but I am sure there was.

Victoria tried to replicate the NSW scene, but it never worked and each venue seems to be dominated by pokies.

The hardest thing is to ween yourself off it, as the revenue needs to be replaced in some way. I can't see this happening in the short term, and I think we need to be diligent in eductating our punters to not over spend and make it an enjoyable night out.

[jeemak]

I think there should be universal laws against clubs making money through poker machines. The AFL should spend the next 24-36 months collating data on how much revenue clubs draw from poker machines and use this to instate a two year program to rationalise all club dependence on them and work through ways to supplement the revenue they draw.

There is absolutely no excuse for the AFL to continue to foster (without encouraging or discouraging participation) this element of harm within the community.

I think the influence over the game drawn from betting is well and truly beyond the pale. The lack of creativity in securing revenue from gaming surely needs to count as a black mark against Vlad's tenure. For such a clever person to allow the pervasiveness of betting operators to have such a significant influence over the entertainment aspect of the game is reprehensible. The fact he can't muster the courage to call out the dependence of clubs on poker machine revenue is disgusting and a slight on the good things he has done for the game.

Problem gambling is a terrible and very real issue for society. I have been lucky enough not to have family and friends impacted by it in a significant way, but there's clearly enough evidence to suggest that many of us have either been through it and the issue it causes directly or indirectly.

It's about time the clubs lobbied the AFL to take a collective stand against the dependence on poker machines to ensure the AFL has no association with them.

[comrade]

I think the influence over the game drawn from betting is well and truly beyond the pale. The lack of creativity in securing revenue from gaming surely needs to count as a black mark against Vlad's tenure. For such a clever person to allow the pervasiveness of betting operators to have such a significant influence over the entertainment aspect of the game is reprehensible. The fact he can't muster the courage to call out the dependence of clubs on poker machine revenue is disgusting and a slight on the good things he has done for the game.

Problem gambling is a terrible and very real issue for society. I have been lucky enough not to have family and friends impacted by it in a significant way, but there's clearly enough evidence to suggest that many of us have either been through it and the issue it causes directly or indirectly.

So what do you suggest the AFL does to limit the 'influence' of betting operators? Ban them from offering markets and restrict their ability to trade?

Problem gambling is a huge community issue but placing all responsibility on business for society's ills and restricting the ability of betting operators to actually trade is simply treating the symptom, not the underlying issue.

[LostDoggy]

NSW have had the big clubs with pokies for a long time. The culture there seems to be alot different than here with the big clubs having lots of different entertainment, various eating outlets as well as the pokies. It seems more like a family night out. Not sure if anyone has been to the Penrith leagues club. I was up there a few years ago when my daughter was playing sport at the Penrith Rowing centre. A few families went to the Penrith club one night for a meal and I was amazed at the size of the venue and the activities available. I didn't see a pokie machine in sight, but I am sure there was.

Victoria tried to replicate the NSW scene, but it never worked and each venue seems to be dominated by pokies.

The hardest thing is to ween yourself off it, as the revenue needs to be replaced in some way. I can't see this happening in the short term, and I think we need to be diligent in eductating our punters to not over spend and make it an enjoyable night out.

Somebody might correct me on this one, but as I understand it the liquor licenses in NSW are hideously expensive, and therefore these massive clubs are the only ones who can afford them. You may notice that outside of the CBD, there are precious few hole-in-the-wall bars and pubs in Sydney.

I was in Wentworth last October for the Mildura Country Music Festival, and even in this far-flung corner of NSW they had a huge pokies club, complete with young family and 4-year-old kid sitting in the TAB gambling area whilst Dad yelled at the horses/dogs.

It was not something I'd ever want to see Victoria emulate to the same extent. Sydney might have a better night life for young people, their nightclubs are insane, but for a quiet drink with the mates I feel Melbourne wins out every time.

[Webby]

Is there any update on this? I note that the article said the development would be completed at the start of the 2015 season.. More delays??

[Twodogs]

I remember when Garlick got the chop that one of the reasons were frustrations at how long it was taking to get the Edgewater venue actually open. So the new guy would have been fully briefed about how high this is on the To Do list.Although he doesn't take over until August. You'd hope it would be open by then.

[LostDoggy]

I think it said in The Age today that it would be sometime between August and Shocktober this year.