Across Australia, hundreds of sports teams and organizations benefit from profits generated by poker machines. Many groups rely on this form of income in order to continue operating, but one sports club has decided to go a different route. The North Melbourne Kangaroos have decided to partner with World Vision Australia, meaning the club would no longer be able to accept money from gambling resources.
According to reports, the new partnership deal with World Vision Australia will see the organization sponsoring the club. The team will display the logo on its uniforms and the organization will support the Kangaroos. It seems like an ideal pairing, and it is a socially-responsible and community-oriented solution. However, not everyone is pleased.
Former executives of the North Melbourne team are not convinced that the team will be able to continue its operations if it does not accept funds from gaming revenues. They also believe that the decision could prove to be elitist, condemning other clubs for accepting poker machine profits. It is becoming an increasingly popular trend, for sports clubs to distance themselves from gaming profits.
It is a more responsible solution in terms of community perspectives, and many clubs have found other ways to generate funding besides deriving revenue from poker machines.