How big an impact will this have!

[whufc]

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sanfl-clu ... 6639991551


LEADING SANFL clubs warn junior football development and community funding are under threat from new poker machine reforms they say will benefit larger venues.

Business Services and Consumers Minister John Rau has revealed plans to divide venues into "major" and "minor" categories under a trading deal that will allow hoteliers to buy up machines from smaller venues.

Clubs SA, which represents not-for-profit community sporting organisations, warns the move will "kill off" grassroots clubs as cashed-up hotels run by Coles and Woolworths gain a bigger share of the market.

They argue big hotels can afford more machines and offer more enticing deals and facilities to gamblers.

Central District chief executive Kris Grant said the planned changes would hurt "all SANFL clubs" and his organisation was already suffering losses due to tough economic conditions.



"We have had to cut and prune expenses in many, many areas without trying to affect our core business of football and being a representative of the community," he said.

"If this was to come in, we can see that we would have a further decline and we would have to look at what we expend in the area of football development for juniors together with sponsorships, charities and donations," Mr Grant said.

Development programs often produced elite footballs or led many young people to get involved in the sport for life at amateur level, reducing their later risk of poor heath and improving social connections, he said.

North Adelaide chief executive Greg Edwards said he was "fearful of the damage" from planned reforms.

Other SANFL clubs with large interests in poker machines include South Adelaide and Sturt. Under the changes revealed last month, minor venues could have a maximum 20 machines - while major venues could have up to 60.

Mr Rau said the changes were intended to stimulate trading of machines between current owners and the Government would remove one in every four sold from circulation.

Adelaide Casino is expected to be a big buyer of machines as part of its planned expansion.

Clubs SA president Cameron Taylor said gaming revenue was critical to the viability of many grassroots teams.

"The proposed changes to legislation will kill off clubs at a faster rate and accelerate the demise of the club industry," Mr Taylor said yesterday.

"The legislation ... seems to be about placing all poker machines in a for-profit casino and to private operators at the expense of not-for-profit clubs."

The Government's changes now face attacks from both the clubs industry, which considers the changes draconian, and social service providers calling for tougher anti-gambling measures.

The Government is attempting to raise the matter for debate in Parliament as soon as this week.

Mr Rau said his reform plans followed lengthy and broad consultation.

"This legislation represents a compromise by many people on a position that perhaps none of them consider to be their perfect position," he said.

"I'm not going to walk away from that compromise position."

He said the planned laws would cut the total number of poker machines in pubs, clubs and hotels while also reducing the number of venues and allowing authorities greater oversight of problem gaming.

Under the planned changes, major venues would also have to impose voluntary pre-commitment technology, cut the maximum bet per spin from $10 to $5 and impose daily withdrawal limits of $250.

SA Council of Social Services executive director Ross Womersley said clubs could strengthen their push for special legal consideration by volunteering to offer stronger gambling protection in their venues than large hotels do.

"The challenge for the clubs, if they want to argue community responsibility, is that they absolutely have to demonstrate it. I'm not convinced that they are," Mr Womersley said.

Opposition gambling spokesman Iain Evans said the laws risked making Coles, Woolworths and large hotels "big winners", while community clubs would be relegated to "big losers".

"The community clubs will be lucky to survive under this particular Bill, that's my concern," he said.

"At the same time, the Government is cutting sport and recreation funding."

[CENTURION]

time to find other ways of making money.

[on the rails]

time to find other ways of making money.

Were "stuffed" if the pokies go!

[G]

time to find other ways of making money.

A few months back didnt you have some new genius plan to firstly save CDFC and then other clubs ?
What was it if i may ask and what happened ?

[SDK]

How can a so called leader of the community and an elected official representing the people of this state get it so wrong and be so utterly stupid !!!!!
You are going the wrong way .... reduce or remove pokies from the profit orientated pubs NOT non profit Clubs ! How much of the profit from these venues go back into the community ? Sweet FA .
Sporting clubs in particular exist to serve the community by developing our children into better citizens through involvement in sport. If SANFL clubs and other sporting clubs fall over because of this BS and can no longer perform this vital function can we then ask Coles and Woolworths to fill the void ..... yeh sure. These prxxxs are into almost everything now and will soon totally control the cost of everything once they eliminate all the small business in this country.
Personally I despise pokies and have never put 1 stinking cent through one of those xxxxing machines and never will. However those who want to waste there money through a system that GUARINTEES you will lose money go ahead but do it where and when it will have some benefit to the community.
Lets hope this monkey is kicked out of office in the next election before he can hammer a nail into the SANFL clubs. This should be a rallying point and election issue for all SANFL followers.

[CENTURION]

time to find other ways of making money.

A few months back didnt you have some new genius plan to firstly save CDFC and then other clubs ?
What was it if i may ask and what happened ?

yep, still working through it at the moment.

[holden78]

Clean up SA Day, March 2014, get this useless mob out

[topsywaldron]

Wasn't this article just another forum for Kris Grant to moan about how he's not very good at his job any more? Been a few of those recently.

[Dogwatcher]

The other mob will probably do the same.
Slaves to big business - all of them.

[CENTURION]

Wasn't this article just another forum for Kris Grant to moan about how he's not very good at his job any more? Been a few of those recently.

"Central District chief executive Kris Grant said the planned changes would hurt "all SANFL clubs" and his organisation was already suffering losses due to tough economic conditions."
Seems to me he's concerned for ALL 9 clubs' welfare. He can't comment on whether it's affecting the other 8 clubs because he isn't in the position to, but I am sure that it is.

[SDK]

Totally agree.

[CENTURION]

Wasn't this article just another forum for Kris Grant to moan about how he's not very good at his job any more? Been a few of those recently.

CENTRALOPHOBE

[topsywaldron]

CENTRALOPHOBE

Must be heartfelt, you've used all capitals.

Pardon me for not loving your club. Nine flags in twelve years will do that though.

[CENTURION]

CENTRALOPHOBE

Must be heartfelt, you've used all capitals.

Pardon me for not loving your club. Nine flags in twelve years will do that though.

I guess you'll never know.

[Dog_ger]

If we could only get rid of those stupid poker machines from this state of SA.

They are the "BUSH RANGER" of our time.

What good are they to any community...

Step forward and put your hand up, if they have made you Wealthy.

They are only there to add another tax to the stupid ones.

No one will pull their life out of the slums by gambling.

If your club can only survive by ripping off the community of their finances to survive, then should they be there in the first place.

[on the rails]

What the hell are you going on about dogger?

It is people like you that have no idea about how much it costs to run SANFL Clubs!!! If it wasn't for gaming where do your think your club would be and that applies to the rest of the clubs to be honest? If there were other equitable revenue streams then the clubs would be applying those and trust me the clubs individually and collectively have looked at other options many times over. The days of the SANFL being the main comp in SA for Football followers died at the end of 1990 when the Crows were formed hence sponsorships, memberships, TV revenue, oval signage and gate revenues and catering returns all dropped significantly. Tell me a way that they can come back to help the clubs in the present day given your such a social commentator!

Don't forget how much money that clubs get from gaming that goes back into junior development programs and also to supporting other clubs within our zones - metro and country. At one stage in 2006 the NAFC also sponsored and provided financial support for 20 NON football related sporting teams and still do. Other clubs are the same. All money that SANFL clubs generate go to operating their clubs and providing a base and facilities for the game of Aussie Rules to move forward - we are NOT for profit clubs as opposed to returns that Hotels get go back to owners - that is their first priority regardless of what they sprout as handign back in sposorships - that is all a tax doge albeit legal.

Whilst gaming has it's evil side and trust me I have had 2 family members who were gambling addicts as a result of the pokies I am also intelligent enough to see the reasons why clubs invested in gaming in the first place. Had they not then most clubs would have by now reverted to being Amatuer League clubs in terms of revenues and operations.

One of the biggest issues when pokies were introduced to SA was the greed of the Govt. of the day in allowing them into not only clubs but Hotels due to the Govt. trying to reduce the fallout from the debt re the State Bank collapse. This was depsite strong lobbying from the clubs but the Hotel lobby was stronger and ultimately won. Had SA followed the original NSW model then we may not be having this debate and a number of clubs would not have had to go out and invest in main road sites to house their gaming or invest in Hotels such as North and Sturt. Too late now and clearly the Govt. doesn't care if clubs survive or not as long as their revenue from gaming is collected regardless of any fallout.

Remove the pokies from the SANFL and what revenue are you left with and see what happens to all SANFL Clubs? I suggest you send the rubbish you just posted to your own club CEO and see what sort of response you get!

[Dog_ger]

Who is right "on the rails".

Me or You...?

No club is worth the demise of its community.

And that is what will happen through gambling.

[JK]

Who is right "on the rails".

Me or You...?

No club is worth the demise of its community.

And that is what will happen through gambling.

The gambling will continue anyway, only via ventures that DON'T put back into their community, unlike the sporting clubs.

[Dogwatcher]

So, no gambling at all, dogger?

[Dog_ger]

Who is right "on the rails".

Me or You...?

No club is worth the demise of its community.

And that is what will happen through gambling.

The gambling will continue anyway, only via ventures that DON'T put back into their community, unlike the sporting clubs.

Please explain venues putting back into the community through poker machines...?

Like more poker machines..,..