The Bulldogs Rugby Club is pushing forward with a financial expansion. These financial blueprints do not include poker machines, as the club aims to generate funding and revenue without relying on gambling profits. Most sports clubs in the rugby and football markets operate poker machines in order to fund their activities.
The money that is spent on pokies at football and rugby clubs is then used to pay for equipment, training and sporting grounds. While this is a popular form of fundraising for Australian sports clubs, the Bulldogs plan to go a different route. The Bulldogs have thought up a unique clubhouse development which will boost revenue without gaming.
The venue will include an office, meeting room, gym, café and function room. It will also feature space that is available for healthcare providers, as the Bulldogs would lease space to physiotherapy, physiology and massage professionals. “We have elected not to go down the gambling track to put in poker machines,” says Graham Brown, President of the club.
“We’ve elected to build a little extra space and then run sport-associated businesses from there. We don’t want to turn into the leagues clubs or any club for that matter where they rely purely on the gambling dollar.” Currently, the development is in the public notification stage. So, there is still a ways to go before construction can begin. The club is also in the process of sourcing funds, as $1.2 million is required to build the new clubhouse.
This is a very exciting project, and it echoes the sentiment of many sports club owners. Over the course of the past few years, we have seen quite a few clubs aiming to distance themselves from gambling operations by providing alternative entertainment and facilities for patrons.
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