The De Angelis family have announced plans to open a new 24-hour pokie club in Casula, and local residents are not pleased with the news. Concerned parents have launched a campaign to discourage the publicans from opening the new venue. According to 7 News, the De Angelis family have plans to open up a new pokie venue on the site of a former motel.
The venue is located just 200 metres away from a primary school, which has local parents in the area greatly concerned. Studies have shown that early exposure to gambling is a major contributor to the development of compulsive gambling behaviour later on in life. With young students passing by a pokie club on a regular basis, it could certainly have a negative impact on their views on gambling.
In many cities across Australia, there are rules in place which prohibit gambling venues from being opened in areas near schools and shopping malls. It does not seem as though any such law exists in Casula, but residents continue to fight against the new venue. Another concern is that the venue will serve alcohol, and even the club owners have admitted that they cannot promise that drunken disturbances will not occur.
Parents believe that the venue is inappropriate for the area, and that a 24-hour pokies pub has no place in Casula. “The people have spoken loud and clear they don’t want another gambling pub in Liverpool,” says Tony Brown, a local resident who is protesting the new club. Liverpool Council will hold a hearing on the issue for residents who are concerned about the potential negative impacts of the new club.
There is no word on whether or not the hearing will have any influence on the actual opening of the club.
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