By CAMERON LUCADOU-WELLS
NOBLE PARK RSL is ramping up its pokie-machine battery to purportedly boost its veteran welfare services.
The Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation last month deemed the “likely social impact of the proposal will be positive” as it approved the club’s application to increase its electronic gaming machines from 30 to 35.
The RSL predicts the extra machines will generate more than $450,000 in extra expenditure.
The commission noted Greater Dandenong was one of the most disadvantaged municipalities in the state and was “well above” the metropolitan average for gaming levels.
“Such factors are warning signs and suggestive of a municipality where problem gambling may be prevalent and the impacts of problem gambling greatly felt.
“However, having regard to the minimal increase in new gaming expenditure that will be generated, the commission is not satisfied that approval of this application will impact on this situation.”
The club’s general manager Mark Wilkinson said the expected windfall would help it purchase a property for its pension office and to provide its welfare service.
The pension office assists members and families to apply for welfare and pension entitlements, runs hospital and house visits for ill and socially isolated people, short-term emergency accommodation and food vouchers, furniture and utility bill help.
“We run our own pensions office with volunteer staff and that needs money from somewhere,” Mr Wilkinson said.
“There’s only so much you make with the bar and the bistro. (The pokies money) enables you to do the work you need to do.”
In its decision, the VCGLR stated the club was “heavily reliant on gaming as a revenue stream”.
“(It) has suffered in recent years through a decline in expenditure and high gaming machine entitlement repayments.”
In the 2012-13 financial year punters spent $2.7 million on pokies at the RSL club – one of the smallest of the 15 pokies venues in Greater Dandenong.
The commission predicted most of the revenue from the club’s extra machines would be transferred from surrounding gaming venues.
The machines were expected to generate about $22,000 in new pokies spending in the municipality – a “nominal amount” given the $109 million lost on pokies in Greater Dandenong in 2012-13.
Greater Dandenong Council declined to make a submission on the application.
Community services director Mark Doubleday said the council considered each application for poker machines “seriously”.
“Council determined that there was a reduced likelihood of succeeding with an objection at the VCGLR as the club had an existing planning permit for the additional machines and the increase in machine numbers was small.”
Monash University public health researcher Charles Livingstone said there was community concern that RSLs have become a “gambling operation” rather than its original purpose as a service for veterans.
“In the past they could operate effectively without the poker machine cash,” Mr Livingstone said.
“The reality is any additional machine is going to create additional gambling problems.
“It’s going to take money out of families’ pockets and divert money from other community activities. The benefit is miniscule compared to the harm being done.”
His research had found 2.2 per cent of claimed community benefits funded by pokie machines in clubs were a “real community benefit”.
“More than two-thirds of claimed benefits were operating costs of the business – the part of the business generating profit.”
On its 2012-13 community benefit statement, the club stated it spent $68,580 on running its pension office.
The club claimed $199,958 on operating costs including salaries and wages at the club.
Greater Dandenong mayor Jim Memeti said he’d prefer pokies to be confined to Crown Casino and removed from the suburbs.
“If we have to have them, I’d rather them being in community clubs like the RSL.”
Councillor Matthew Kirwan said he would have preferred the council objected but realised the objection was “unlikely to succeed”.
“We need to advocate (to the State Government) to reduce the overall cap in Greater Dandenong dramatically given the nature of the area.
“I think a third of the pokies in Greater Dandenong we have now would be the ideal goal, with non-commercial venues like RSLs, sporting clubs and non-profit clubs being the only ones having them.”
What do you think: can poker machines do more good than harm? Let us know at journal@starnewsgroup.com.au
