While pokies have been slated in the local media lately, it is important to remember that they serve a valuable purpose for the community. Poker machines provide local organizations and venues with funding that they need to conduct repairs, expand their property and fund operations. Waurn Ponds Hotel and The Sphinx are two venues that will be benefitting from new pokies.
The two clubs will use the profits from new poker machines to fund expansions of the properties, giving local residents more options when it comes to entertainment opportunities. Waurn Ponds Hotel will install 14 more pokies, bringing its total up to 70. The proposal for the new pokies was approved on the condition that the venue would complete venue improvements within a reasonable time.
The deadline for the improvements is September 30. The new pokies will generate an additional $1.4 million a year, providing the venue with the funds required to make the renovations. The hotel will also use an additional $10 000 every year to fund community grants. Currently, Waurn Pond shares $20 000 with local charities annually, and this additional funding will continue to establish the hotel as a valuable member of the local community.
The Sphinx will bring its total number of pokies up to 60, and their profits will pay for the addition of 20 new rooms. The pokies will also fund the construction of new facilities, such as an outdoor garden and an event centre. The additions will make The Sphinx a high-quality entertainment centre in Geelong. Poker machines serve a valuable purpose in the local community, and the new pokies at The Sphinx and Waurn Ponds illustrate this.
They will fund the addition of new entertainment facilities for local residents, providing them with more opportunities to support the local economy.
About the Author
