Melbourne pulls out of gaming/pokies

Apr 12, 2012
45,991
41,669
AFL Club
GWS
Melbourne must sleep well at night knowing that when they cease owning the licence for these pokie machines that society will be better off as these machines wont be in existence........oh wait
Thats like saying you may as well sell drugs to kids because if we dont do it someone else will.

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Belnakor

Brownlow Medallist
Apr 10, 2005
26,274
18,834
Perth
AFL Club
Fremantle
We could always get a fairer distribution of financial support from the AFL. Perhaps we could even get a cut that matches the Tigers (with or without the FTF)

unfortunately the AFL system a bit like the GST. Well run clubs like Collingwood, Essendon, Hawthorn and Richmond + the WA clubs essentially are handing money back to other, less well run clubs because they aren't a basket case.
 
Sep 17, 2004
40,316
14,029
Australia
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Because taking advantage and profiting from peoples addiction to pokies is a s**t thing to do and I'm glad the club is getting out of it.

But isn’t that what Melbourne is doing anyway by selling the machines? If it was a moral stance wouldn’t they just hold the machines and not use them? I mean they could do that anyway until their licence expires?
 
Jul 14, 2007
34,186
25,998
Melbourne, Victoria
AFL Club
Melbourne
Other Teams
Chicago Bulls
But isn’t that what Melbourne is doing anyway by selling the machines? If it was a moral stance wouldn’t they just hold the machines and not use them? I mean they could do that anyway until their licence expires?
I'm not entirely sure on how the whole deal works (someone correct me if I'm wrong) but I would assume that the club owns certain machines and simply couldn't stop people from using them.
 
Aug 18, 2006
38,708
48,563
Melbourne
AFL Club
Carlton
So?

Someone will still sell them.

Hopefully all clubs get rid of them. A cancer on the poor comunities.

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But that's the reason no clubs are sponsored by cigarette companies. But thinking about it, if pubs that are owned by clubs sell cigarettes they are making a profit. Maybe clubs should sell all the pubs.
 
Apr 12, 2012
45,991
41,669
AFL Club
GWS
But that's the reason no clubs are sponsored by cigarette companies. But thinking about it, if pubs that are owned by clubs sell cigarettes they are making a profit. Maybe clubs should sell all the pubs.
Thought about it.

Glad my club is looking into alternative ideas other than destroying families in poor areas and Melbourne should be commended for doing the same.


The fact that Hawthorn call themselves the family club(like Canterbury up here) yet make an absolute fortune off destroying families in poor areas from pokies is the biggest load of garbage ive seen.


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Apr 12, 2012
45,991
41,669
AFL Club
GWS
Shows how bad its getting as a country.


s**t theres only just over 24 million of us.
96b4a01c9881fdbf4caf2f818ed37e51.jpg


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Saint

Norm Smith Medallist
Feb 1, 2006
9,275
16,637
Victoria
AFL Club
Essendon
The writing is on the wall for the pokies industry.

Any reasonable board of a football club or any other organisation (AHA, Woolies/Coles whichever one owns lots of them) would be prepared for pokies to vanish fairly swiftly.

In some cases, it's better to just get out early and avoid all the fuss.

It's a big risk to the bottom line for clubs like Essendon, Carlton and Hawthorn, a risk not worth taking any longer.

The AFL has the power to ban clubs from pokies revenue too, since they own the AFL licences. That might occur before the state Govts place greater restrictions on revenue or bans it themselves.
 
Aug 18, 2006
38,708
48,563
Melbourne
AFL Club
Carlton
The writing is on the wall for the pokies industry.

Any reasonable board of a football club or any other organisation (AHA, Woolies/Coles whichever one owns lots of them) would be prepared for pokies to vanish fairly swiftly.

In some cases, it's better to just get out early and avoid all the fuss.

It's a big risk to the bottom line for clubs like Essendon, Carlton and Hawthorn, a risk not worth taking any longer.

The AFL has the power to ban clubs from pokies revenue too, since they own the AFL licences. That might occur before the state Govts place greater restrictions on revenue or bans it themselves.

Best to make hay while the sun shines then
 
Aug 14, 2011
44,794
16,853
Trafalgar
AFL Club
West Coast
Other Teams
Mclaren Mercedes F1
Panic station at the Hawks.

It won't be long until they will need to liquidate almost all of their $47m in net assets and go cap in hand to the AFL lol.

I guess another $10m donation won't go astray either...

Stop paying its own way e.g Dingley.

lets hear a cast iron guarantee from the Demons that the AFL is not funding this piece of social engineering.
 
Stop paying its own way e.g Dingley.

lets hear a cast iron guarantee from the Demons that the AFL is not funding this piece of social engineering.
They were asked in the presser about the funding gap and said they could deliver it through the club itself, no mention of the AFL
 
Aug 14, 2011
44,794
16,853
Trafalgar
AFL Club
West Coast
Other Teams
Mclaren Mercedes F1
But isn’t that what Melbourne is doing anyway by selling the machines? If it was a moral stance wouldn’t they just hold the machines and not use them? I mean they could do that anyway until their licence expires?

A venue operator licence enables an entity to operate gaming machines in Victoria. Venue operator licences are granted a licence for up to 10 years. Venue operators must apply to renew approval before the expiry date to continue their licence.

Note: On 20 December 2017 certain changes to the Gambling Regulation Act 2003 came into effect. The VCGLR’s web content is currently being updated to reflect these changes and the Technical Standards for gambling industry page has further information.

For licences that were current at 24 June 2009, the length of the licence period was automatically increased from five years to 10 years.

All subsequent applications for a new licence will be granted a 10-year licence from the date of approval.
http://www.vcglr.vic.gov.au/gambling/gaming-venue-operator
 
Feb 21, 2006
20,657
19,477
Muckertal
AFL Club
Melbourne
Other Teams
Turtles, NYJets, Celtics, Tottenham
So?

Someone will still sell them.

Hopefully all clubs get rid of them. A cancer on the poor comunities.

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So GWS should give up their TAB sponsorship? AFL should give up all betting, alcohol, junk food sponsorship?
 

hamohawk1

Premiership Player
Feb 18, 2011
4,325
4,481
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Don't mind this at all but does MFC and the other clubs have a suitable plan for getting money into the club other than an AFL grant?

Cant take your hand out of one pie and place it in another.
 
Don't mind this at all but does MFC and the other clubs have a suitable plan for getting money into the club other than an AFL grant?

Cant take your hand out of one pie and place it in another.
For the record, from the presser:

Q: How much pressure was there on the club from the AFL?
A: No pressure at all, club led move. No financial assistance from the AFL.

Q: What's the gap?
A: About 10% growth required from current books to make up from lost revenue.

Q: Where else do you see the make-up revenue coming from?
A: Matchday attendances up - 5th most in comp even with interstate games. Improved returns off MCG/Etihad contracts. Investment of capital from sale of venues. Impact and commercialisation of new facilities. Multiplier effect of different events.

Seems that they have a plan.
 

Great8

Brownlow Medallist
Apr 19, 2015
16,613
14,162
AFL Club
Essendon
Other Teams
Manchester United, Juventus,
Melbourne must sleep well at night knowing that when they cease owning the licence for these pokie machines that society will be better off as these machines wont be in existence........oh wait
Exactly. Would rather pokies in the hands of football clubs rather than Coles or Woolies
 

Great8

Brownlow Medallist
Apr 19, 2015
16,613
14,162
AFL Club
Essendon
Other Teams
Manchester United, Juventus,
For the record, from the presser:

Q: How much pressure was there on the club from the AFL?
A: No pressure at all, club led move. No financial assistance from the AFL.

Q: What's the gap?
A: About 10% growth required from current books to make up from lost revenue.

Q: Where else do you see the make-up revenue coming from?
A: Matchday attendances up - 5th most in comp even with interstate games. Improved returns off MCG/Etihad contracts. Investment of capital from sale of venues. Impact and commercialisation of new facilities. Multiplier effect of different events.

Seems that they have a plan.
Maybe they should pay their debt off first
 
Maybe they should pay their debt off first
Club has reduced its debt by $2.6mil since 2013 and the club has been operating in the black for the last three years (2015-17). The club is both paying its debt off while shifting its financials.
 
Feb 21, 2006
20,657
19,477
Muckertal
AFL Club
Melbourne
Other Teams
Turtles, NYJets, Celtics, Tottenham
Club has reduced its debt by $2.6mil since 2013 and the club has been operating in the black for the last three years (2015-17). The club is both paying its debt off while shifting its financials.

Will be interesting to see if we can keep operating in the black once the $3-$4m annual pokies profit is removed.
 
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