Given the huge influx of cash from prize money, memberships, donations, and sponsorships: is it time for the club to bite the bullet and jettison gambling as a source of revenue?
The_Wookie - you would know the breakdown.
Would blowing up the pokies break the Hawks?
Hawthorn and 5 other clubs are considering I think , to give gambling the bullet , I am not sure in what way, I don't gamble on humans at all, even when they are involved in animal racing , its always open to the rort! I see the adds on Fox footy for it all the time, and I see the grey rules of AFL lending itself to one day having an umpire compromised by heavy duty cheating, watch , it'll happen unless a very strict set of guidelines is enforced by the law not by the AFL.
Gambling is in its worst form, is an illness like alcoholism and drug addiction, yet its treated like some fun time money gathering party.
Its not , adds showing blokes pulling money out of gambling machines and throwing it back to the bar or on another bet with a big grin is just sick.
And it is not reality.Having gambling in sport where some people are addicted to the punt, and other aren't , is no different to the AFL having a corner set aside in each of the grounds in some little back room where a patron can go and hit up , although addicts are everywhere when it comes to drugs so the room might have to be bigger.
No different having idiotic "winning" commercials and telephone betting advertised over and over and over on the Foxtel while people are watching a game!
Forget about the sneaky little conditions advertised in betting to get your money back if something agreed to happens in a game, thats a trap, and its no different to free booze in the casino, its why gambling is a disease inside the clubs in the AFL, have a look at how many players have been or are in gambling trouble.
No more adds , if you have to have a bet, drive or walk to the TAB, forget telephone gambling, its all bad news from there.
You small time 5 and 10 buck gamblers , you don't need to worry , but there's not many of you hey? And you may join the ranks of the disembowelled by gambling, when you run out of luck!