Poker machines across the country provide a valuable service to the community. Although they have been cast in a bad light lately, pokies are beneficial to the community by providing local organizations with funding. This week, Jupiter’s Casino has announced that 79 different groups have benefited from its gambling grants during its last round of funding.
“The fund receives money from taxes on the casino and distributes it to not-for-profit community groups in the southern part of Queensland – south of Mackay to the NSW border and west to the Northern Territory,” says Jarrod Bleijie, Attorney-General and Minister for Justice. “These recipients illustrate the variety of valuable work not-for-profit organisations do around the state”.
What is most impressive about this fact is that Jupiter’s grants are not awarded annually. Rather, they are doled out four times per year. The $1.4 million in grants that was awarded was provided to organizations that applied between September 1st, 2012 and November 20th, 2012; so, there are millions more to be awarded later this year.
The uses for the pokie grants are wide-ranging, as funding will be provided to a number of different types of organizations. For example, the Coolum-Peregian RSL will receive nearly $17 000 to upgrade its kitchen, allowing the group to host more events and conduct more community work. The Gympie and District Historical Society has been awarded more than $31 000 that will be used to renovate museums that are prone to flooding.
The Jupiter’s Casino Community Benefit Fund has been around for more than 25 years. Established in 1987, the fund has awarded tens of millions of dollars to various community groups. The money is commonly used for upgrades, to purchase new equipment and to fundraise for events. The next round of funding ends on May 31, 2013.
So, groups have over a month to submit their applications. A maximum of $150 000 is available for each applicant.
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