Pokies in RSL Clubs Australia – Now in the centre of the debate 0 Likes

To have or remove pokies in RSL Clubs

Australia has the highest number of pokies players and so have the high rising problem gamblers. Besides pokies to be found at local casinos in Australia like the Crown Melbourne or Star City, they are also found at local pubs and clubs. Many of these pokies machines are linked to jackpots and few even offer multi-line individual games. Last month a new debate is going on in Australia centering around the increasing of pokies in RSLs. One group is taking a stand, and that group is tough to ignore. Young military veterans are making their voices heard. This group of people haven’t necessarily grown up with gambling. Instead, they have returned from their service to find their RSLs filled with pokies. RSLs may now be forced to confront the issue of pokies contributing to their revenue. Furthermore, the country as a whole may have to look at ways to better finance the facilities so pokies aren’t necessary.

ABC news reports that young veterans showed their concerns about high rise in pokies machines in RSLs. According to the report one veteran was discharged with incapacity payments but spent time in clubs to pass the time. Eventually, he started playing more pokies and developed a habit, then an addiction. RSL should provide a sense of community among fellow veterans. But soon his visits soon turned into a solo experience in which he lost most of his cheques in machines.

A former Army officer, David Petersen, has now organised a group of veterans to campaign against pokies in RSLs based in Victoria. According to his views the RSL should not be in the business of running poker machines for multiple reasons and also principally it doesn’t make veterans a lot of money. He further adds that the community think that they put this $1 in the machine, money comes out at the other end for veterans which is not true at all.

Pokies, cheap parmas and pots for the general punter. That’s what these clubs are about. Younger vets look at these clubs and see nothing there for them.”

Dave Petersen 32, is an Afghanistan veteran who was medically discharged for mental health reasons. A former army artilleryman, he is now president of the Camberwell sub-branch, the youngest sub-branch president in Victoria, and a leader of the group challenging the RSL’s old guard.

RSLs in Australia

The Returned and Services League (RSL) of Australia is an organisation to support men and women who return from serving in the Defence Force. It started in 1916 when members of the service returned from fighting in World War I. The organisation then expanded in the following years, ultimately encompassing all parts of Australia to represent the interests of veterans. There was a time when its membership swayed too far toward militia groups and extremism group recruitment. However, the RSL continued to evolve. The 1990 iteration of the RSL is reflective of what the clubs stand for today; a source of services, safe environment, and friendship for veterans.

Unfortunately, RSLs struggled to find funds to run their clubs and provide services. As a result, they subsequently welcomed pokies over the last several decades for their revenue. Young veterans are pointing out the real numbers, though. They say the RSLs aren’t the main benefactor, and the costs for members of the clubs are too high.

In Victoria, there are approximately 280 RSL clubs, and 52 of them bank on pokies. According to ABC reporting, those RSLs in Victoria took in $8 million in profit from pokies in 2017. But that number was a small percentage of the $260 million in revenue that the machines actually generated and the remainder of the revenue, only about $9.8 million went into government-sponsored welfare programs for veterans and the community at large.

As it turns out, RSL members who most fervently support pokies in RSLs are older veterans. These are people who have been accustomed to the environment since they returned from wars decades ago. New veterans are not used to the gambling offered and are more vulnerable to addiction.

Young Veterans Voice

The young veterans plan to talk to the owners of more clubs and work with government officials to find other ways to support service members. Also they may find comradeship with groups that have long battled pokies, such as Rein in the Pokies and Bad Bets Australia. Those groups have found funding through the millionaire owner of MONA (Museum of Old and New Art) and others who support the cause.

Note that Tabcorp recently sponsored RSLs to the tune of $500,000 in return for supplying 2,800 poker machines to the clubs in Victoria. The arrangement is a commercial one. Nevertheless, some say it has swayed the views of club owners to the side of Tabcorp rather than the veterans themselves. Some RSL owners say they are looking at other ways to garner revenue. But for now, they are not in a position to reject much-needed money from the likes of Tabcorp.