News All pokies to be sold

[Mattdougie]

With today's technology problem gambling (with pokies) could be eradicated if the government wanted to. Make all machines card operated. Money must be deposited on cards. Limits on cards are set by a central team based on affordability of each individual. This would at least limit the damage.

Sports betting / online / phone betting now that's were the real problem lies!

I think that would come up against legal issues with judging of a person via income or wealth.

The main problem is the government don’t want to stop gambling.

They pull in billions from it that they could not recoup any other way

And there also has to be some onus put on the individual to control themselves. We can’t stop every activity because some people have addictive personalities and cannot limit themselves.

 

[immortalmike]

I’m not condoning it. Just offering my observation.

Quite. And it's an observation I don't buy.

 

[TiAn_]

Ethically minded companies don't exactly scream billion dollar enterprises to me Mad.

Ah it's illusion you're after.
I'd rather deal in reality.

Can’t agree with you here. Social responsibility is a massive selling point in the corporate world, whether the interest is cynical or legitimate. I don’t think ditching pokies will immediately generate a commensurate uptick in sponsorship, but Maddog is correct and it will be a good marketing point for the club.

More importantly, it’s not a coincidence that this decision comes not too long after the government handed us the land next to the WO and budgeted a $5m grant for further development of WO. In fact, selling off our licensed premises (not expressly pokies) was referenced in the press release for that deal back in April, giving a hint at the possible quid pro quo involved.

IMO the club is just tying to turn gaming revenue into other revenue with the government’s help. That other revenue may eventually be hosting H&A games at WO again.

Like my favourite cartoon as a kid, there’s more than meets the eye.

 

[Dazb86]

Had no issue with the club owning pokies. Hopefully they find a way to get the lost profit from elsewhere.