Last week, the Western Bulldogs proposed changes to current pokie tax laws aimed at levelling the playing field for all AFL clubs. The team suggested that all pokie profits are split evenly between all clubs, regardless of how many pokies they own. The idea initially received some criticism from other AFL teams and now, the Victorian Gambling Commission has revealed some information that may compromise the Bulldogs’ plans.
The Bulldogs’ request was admirable, as the team wanted to help reduce the league’s dependence on poker machine profits. It also aimed to provide all teams with a similar level of funding so that teams which operate more pokies would not have a financial advantage over all others. Unfortunately, the provisions outlined in the proposal could be deemed illegal.
According to The Australian, the Victorian Gambling Commission states that the sharing of gambling profits is not legal. According to the 2003 Gambling Regulation Act, what the Bulldogs’ has proposed is a prohibited venue agreement, which is defined as an agreement in which the venue operator ‘provides to another person an amount calculated by reference to its gaming machine revenue’.
The commission has stated that the team should seek out its own legal advice regarding the proposal and how it relates to the Gambling Regulation Act’s definition of a prohibited venue agreement. A legal team may be able to guide the Bulldogs’, helping them find a way around the act’s restrictions or proposing an entirely new option.
As it stands, things do not look very good for the Bulldog’s proposal. In addition to the gambling commission’s criticisms of the potential amendments, other AFL teams have spoken out against the implementation of a profit-sharing system. Teams like Carlton, which operator hundreds of pokies across the country, have voiced their opposition to the plan.
Instead, they support a plan to increase ticket prices in order to generate more funding for struggling teams.
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