A recent study has found that many sports clubs across Australia rely heavily on gambling revenue from poker machines. This type of dependence on a form of gambling may have a detrimental effect on the local community, and the Canberra government has launched a new taskforce that will help clubs find alternative means of raising funds.

According to a report in the Canberra Times, the Canberra government and Club ACT will lead a taskforce that will help clubs become less dependent on revenue generated by poker machines. One of the main goals of the taskforce is to engage clubs in discussions about the potential construction of community centres. These would include childcare facilities, affordable housing and aged care.

There are plenty of opportunities available to local clubs. Although poker machines are quite lucrative, there are many other ways to raise money for operation costs. "Clubs are fairly significant landholders in the ACT and they are all looking to diversify their revenue streams and rely less on gaming, and land is the obvious choice for them to pursue,” says Jeff House, Chief Executive of Clubs ACT.

The establishment of the taskforce is also important from a gambling industry perspective. Online gambling is becoming increasingly popular, as many gamblers are now choosing to play pokies online and place bets from their mobile phones. As such, it is important for clubs to look into new ways to raise funds, as land-based poker machines may experience a dip in popularity over the course of the next few years.

The taskforce will be beneficial for the ACT in a number of ways. We hope that it is successful in establishing new ways for clubs to raise money for their operating costs.

About the Author

George Anderson
Author George, has over 25+ years’ experience in the Pokies and Casinos industry throughout Australia and New Zealand. Loves to research new Pokies games on the block and follows announcements from top industry providers about their upcoming releases. As soon as a new interesting pokie game appears on his radar, George is there to check it out and give you the scoop before anyone else and tell you about all casino sites where can play the latest game. Before this gig, George worked as Pokie game tester, making him an ideal candidate for this genre of work. He is also an animal lover and a proud owner of three dogs.