Mate I like you but stop posting shit just to start arguments.
I actually thought it raised a valid point (which is why I replied to it with what I did). There are far bigger dangers to society than pokies that the AFL is quite happy to endorse. Pokies just happens to be the flavour of the month.
Sure though, it is a step towards a more socially responsible operated club I guess. I just don't like the preachiness of it all.
I think with a lot of this kind of thing, it comes down to your views on personal responsibility and how far you are ok with other entities interfering with your right to do stuff. That being said, there are people who may not have the capacity to make the 'right' choices all the time and for those people, there obviously needs to be some sort of regulation put in place.
I think there are pretty huge double standards at play within authorities that are pretty plain to see. For example, when I go to the footy and see every kid there, every week, no matter whether it is VFL, NRL, A League, netball whatever shoving massive amounts of junk food (because there are no other options available) into their gobs, it makes it a little difficult to believe the preachiness that the AFL comes out with sometimes. I'd wager than obesity/diabetes/heart problems/kidney/liver etc problems related to our kids' diets are going to faaaaaaaaar outweigh (pun only slightly not intended) the 'evil' that is the pokies. Our clubs are probably all making decent coin out of those 'vices', no? Where does it stop though, is my point I guess. Is junk food next? Alcohol? Ciggies? Sugar? Arguably taking stances against any of those would be more socially responsible than a stance against pokies.
Again though, happy for the club to do the 'right' thing as far as society is concerned.