Blues top pokies ladder as punters lose $19m

[bornadog]

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Carlton has finished top of the pokies losses ladder with punters dropping $19 million at the club's four venues, as total losses at Victorian AFL club-owned venues reached more than $85 million last year.

But losses at football club-owned venues dropped 12.2 per cent from nearly $97 million in 2011-12, a larger decrease than the rest of the state which saw pokies losses drop by 7.1 per cent to nearly $2.5 billion over that period.
Essendon, Collingwood and Hawthorn rounded out the top four of largest pokies losses.
Analysis by The Age of punter losses at pokies venues in the state that were active in the past financial year found that losses at the venues owned by nine Victorian clubs - North Melbourne is the only club without poker machines - totalled $85,102,284.

Victorian clubs own 18 gaming venues, with 1317 machines. There are 27,760 poker machines in Victoria, excluding the Casino, at 523 venues. Carlton owns 300 machines in four venues, where punters lost $19.1 million last financial year. At Collingwood, punters lost $13.2 million, at Essendon it was $11.9 million and at Hawthorn $11.3 million.
Collingwood had the biggest drop in pokies losses at its venues over the past year, with a 25.4 per cent decrease.

The International Hotel in Lilydale, which was owned by the club and raked in $3.3 million from 80 machines in 2011-12, closed in July 2012.
Since July 2012 ATMs have been banned in pokies venues by the state government.
Losses at football club venues accounted for 3 per cent of nearly $2.5 billion worth of pokies losses across the state in 2012-13.

Anti-pokies campaigner Tim Costello said AFL clubs needed to end their relationship with poker machines.
''I welcome the publishing of the real AFL ladder. AFL clubs boast of their community support and what they put back; this tells you what they are taking out in terms of the cost to families, businesses and crime in the community,'' Mr Costello said.
''I think the AFL clubs should bite the bullet. Forty per cent of that revenue comes from addicted people.''

Public health and gambling expert Associate Professor Samantha Thomas said sporting bodies needed to step up to help battle pokies-related harm.
''Sports clubs have an incredibly influential role in communities and there are really good examples of clubs having positive impacts on the health of the community,'' Dr Thomas said.

''But when sports organisations align themselves with potentially harmful products, whether it be junk food or alcohol or gambling, then they need to engage to be part of the solution in tackling these important public health issues.''
Greens gambling and sports spokesman Richard Di Natale said despite the good work of the AFL in indigenous and multiculturalism and physical health, it had dropped the ball on pokies.
Nearly half of the losses on poker machines at football club-owned venues were in three municipalities - Monash, Melton and Hobsons Bay - which between them house six venues.

[Bulldog Revolution]

I agree with Costello - North have taken the right approach

[Ghost Dog]

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Anti-pokies campaigner Tim Costello said AFL clubs needed to end their relationship with poker machines.
''I welcome the publishing of the real AFL ladder. AFL clubs boast of their community support and what they put back; this tells you what they are taking out in terms of the cost to families, businesses and crime in the community,'' Mr Costello said.
''I think the AFL clubs should bite the bullet. Forty per cent of that revenue comes from addicted people.''


Nearly half of the losses on poker machines at football club-owned venues were in three municipalities - Monash, Melton and Hobsons Bay - which between them house six venues.

That's an absolute disgrace. Gambling in sport is the white elephant in the room.

[bornadog]

That's an absolute disgrace. Gambling in sport is the white elephant in the room.

The trouble is where do we find over $4 million dollars to replace the revenue.

[westdog54]

Looking at those figures makes an absolute mockery of the claims from the likes of Hawthorn, Carlton, Collingwood etc, about how they are so successful because they just do things better.

No wonder Carlton were up in arms when Peter Gordon proposed equalisation through pokie revenue. Never mind the fact they were gifted a stack of these from Bruce Mathieson...

[The Adelaide Connection]

On a bit of a tangent, whatever happened to that Edgewater club we were supposed to be setting up? I am guessing that would also push the umber of machines we have up.

[Bumper Bulldogs]

You would have to say that the Dogs have done some homework on this as they have the second best returns behind the Hawks.

I'm happy for the Club to be into this just like any other business. We operate within the law/rules and and are responsible in our ethics

I see no issue...Go Dogs!