TOPIC:

John Townsend has written an excellent piece in todays West suggesting WAFL clubs should have pokies as a pathway forward to financial security. I 100% support it, should happened years ago.

With the changes coming, new stadium, draft incomes, shrinking crowds/sponsors etc , a way forward for survival must be found and the greater independence we have the better.

While a good article for discussion - won't happen. If they allow WAFL clubs to do it you'd have to let other semi-pro sports clubs do it, and then it becomes a broader discussion about pokies in pubs etc.

Perhaps it could be limited to sports clubs?

In any event, there are some clubs where pokies have failed to draw the expected kind of profits they were after and over east the market has flatlined in preference to online gambling - that said there's obviously room in the market here given we only have one venue for it.

Just saying it might not be quite the savior everyone thinks it could be.

I'd start with WAFL clubs and see how it goes with a strict limit on any expansion to community base clubs only in terms of revenues as you say online betting is booming and we lose all that at moment why kid ourselves people are not gambling and try to at least harness some of it for community based clubs , it's not a cure all but it would be a decent brick in the wall for the clubs to
Survive we can't keep going the way we are for much longer.

Like Baz said give the Wafl clubs a trial.If the facilities can improve any people can go to the Wafl clubs for a meal and drink.And not even play the pokies.Some of those League Clubs and Rsl clubs are very flash in the East Coast.
If there's a problem with the way the pokies take money of the punters the Government can heavily regulate them to make sure there paying back 90%.

Once you let the pokies in they are here to stay and if you let WAFL clubs have them there is no limit. Other sporting clubs will quite rightly want them and before you know it we have all the social problems associated with pokies being everywhere, more problems in families, money spent on pokies means the kids suffer and my brief look at clubs in Adelaide a few years ago, well the word obesity comes to mind.

Like anything in life, anything is usually not too harmful in moderation. If there is a way to limit their usage maybe it can be a win win without the extreme dangers of people becoming addicted and ruining theirs and their families lives.

Been advocating this for years.
More people go to clubs in the East for the cheap food and drink.
I know I do.
There are uaually far more people there for the food and drink.
(Not talking the large Leagues Clubs, more the smaller clubs particularly the bowling clubs in both Sydney and Mackay that I have experienced)
Draws people back to the Club.
And yes some members are members just to access the facilities.
Yes some people gamble but guess what.
It's about time grown people took some responsibility for their own actions.
90% of people do have brains.
It's about time the do gooders worried about their own back yard.
I remember the day when the bar at Lathlain was open everyday (except Sunday).
The bar was active every night with something going on.
And guess what?
We had a fully functional commercial kitchen and restaurant (I think mainly open on match days).
But then we had the crowds at games.
What a waste when it was dismantled.

I disagree, I have been in several of these clubs over East and I saw some pathetically sad people wasting away their $ looking like they had never been to a dentist and dishevelled. Sorry don't want or need them here got enough issues with drugs - bigger than any other state has

Great idea, why should Packer have a monopoly on where punters gamble there money.
Do it i say

astro wrote: Great idea, why should Packer have a monopoly on where punters gamble there money.
Do it i say

I agree, rather have WAFL and Community Clubs getting the quids than him.

I'm not a fan of it although in saying that I'm not a gambler. I guess given the ease of on-line gambling these days it doesn't make a whole lot of sense not to fall in-line with the rest of the country and allow pokies in certain venues.