This week, the Western Bulldogs proposed a new tax scheme for AFL pokies. Hoping to secure an even financial playing field, the club suggested that all pokie profits are equally distributed between teams. Although the proposal is meant to be fair to all clubs, some teams have rejected the new tax scheme. Greg Swann, the chief executive of the Carlton Football Club, is leading the resistance.
His club currently owns 360 poker machines in five venues across the country. Each year, they generate $4.5 million for the team and, if the new tax scheme is accepted, Carlton will lose out on a great deal of funding. "We've worked hard for our gaming interests,'' Swann says. "We've invested a lot of money and we're carrying a lot of debt, so we don't think that's a viable option”.
He also notes that the plan is not entirely viable from legal and legislative standpoints. The current laws have been in place for quite some time and they apply to all industries in the same way. If taxes were changed for AFL pokies, they may have to be changed for other clubs as well. Swann has expressed support for other means of raising funds for AFL clubs.
He believes that the best course of action would be to raise ticket prices for ‘blockbuster’ games and possibly reducing prices for games that attract fewer spectators. This seems to be ideal, as it would give clubs the chance to raise the money themselves, rather than depending on pokie profits. It would also mean that clubs which own hundreds of pokies would not lose out on funding.
This debate has only just begun. There are likely to be many more AFL professional who wish to weigh in on the topic. It is an important issue for players, spectators and the league as a whole. We will keep you updated as the issue develops.
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