Castlemaine Sports and Community Club has recently experienced a great deal of controversy over poker machines. A community group called EPIC, Enough Pokies in Castlemaine, was established to fight the club’s bid for new pokies. The group disbanded, but it may be time to reunite as the Sports and Community Club has applied for new games once again.
According to the Bendigo Advertiser, owners of the Castlemaine Sports and Community Club hope to open up a new club this year. The group wants the new club to operate poker machines but, judging by the community’s response to pokies, there is going to be some opposition. Club spokesman Ian Braybrook has stated that the new club’s business model will derive revenue from pokies.
Like many clubs across Australia, the venue will offer food and drinks but it will rely mostly on profits from gaming. “It’s not a reasonable position to try and run a community club without pokies,” says Mr Braybrook. “It’s an essential ingredient.” However, local residents are unlikely to see it this way.
When EPIC was formed to fight the club’s original request for new pokies, many citizens across the city were not pleased with any plans to add new gaming machines to the community. They convinced the VCAT to side with them last year and, although the group disbanded, the same opposition is likely to be around.
David Stretch, the former president of EPIC, believes that local community members will continue to oppose any plans to install new pokies. Even though the group does not exist, its members are still vocal about the local gaming industry. A new group called People Not Pokies is likely to take up the fight.
The group has spoken out against all news plans to introduce new pokies in Castlemaine, and the new Sports and Community Club is going to be no exception.
About the Author
