Poker Machine Reforms

Will poker machine reforms effect Australian sport?: 

Will poker machine reforms effect Australian sport? By Hannah Osborne

CLUBS AND SPORT: 

CLUBS AND SPORT

CLUBS AND COMMUNITY FUNDING: 

CLUBS AND COMMUNITY FUNDING According to the Get Up Australia campaign; clubs across Australia returned 2.7% of gambling profits back to the community. This figure represents the club landscape across Australia, and includes clubs that gave nothing back to the community as well as those that invested much more. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpF5uqPHrhA

CLUBS AND COMMUNITY FUNDING: 

CLUBS AND COMMUNITY FUNDING Alternatively, Clubs Australia states, “Community clubs are not-for-profit, member-driven and community-orientated associations of people. They support a wide range of causes, including sporting teams and local charities. No one can personally profit from club operation and any net financial surplus must be returned to members and the local community.”

CLUBS AND TECNOLOGY: 

CLUBS AND TECNOLOGY The cost of complete installation and upgrading of electronic gambling machines is estimated to cost 3 billion dollars. The parliamentary joint select committee on gambling reform states that these costs are less than half of what is made from problem gamblers over the period of a year.

CLUBS AND TECHNOLOGY: 

CLUBS AND TECHNOLOGY The Returned Services League of Australia claims that many of their clubs would not be able to absorb these costs and would be forced to close. However, the committee suggests allowing eight years for smaller clubs to implement these changes.

CLUBS AND TECHNOLOGY: 

CLUBS AND TECHNOLOGY The committee also outlines that electronic gaming machines with a maximum bet less than one dollar will not require the pre commitment technology. However, an open letter to the parliament, by Clubs Australia Executive Director, Anthony Ball, states that low intensity machines do not exist in Australia.

POLITICS – KEY PLAYERS: 

POLITICS – KEY PLAYERS Independent MP Andrew Wilkie Senator Nick Xenophon Prime Minister Julia Gillard Opposition Leader Tony Abbott

POLITICS - WILKIE: 

POLITICS - WILKIE A mandatory pre-commitment scheme was part of a signed agreement in return for his support of the current government. Mr Wilkie requires that legislation be submitted prior to May 2012 or he may withdraw his support from the government.

POLITICS - LABOR: 

POLITICS - LABOR Despite increasing pressure, the government is sticking firm to the mandatory pre commitment technology. Prime Minister, Julia Gillard is backing the reforms because of the suffering caused by problem gambling. She says; “That kind of problem gambling causes human misery. I don't think we want to see anybody profiting on human misery” http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/gillard-promises-to-uphold-commitment-to-independent-mp-on-pokie-reform-defy-clubs/story-fn59niix-1226037905469

POLITICS - LIBERAL: 

POLITICS - LIBERAL The Coalition are opposed to the proposed mandatory pre-commitment scheme because they believe it will disadvantage the community and not benefit problem gamblers. Tony Abbott declared at a recent poker machine reform rally that if the scheme passed and he became prime minister he would revoke the laws.

SPORT: 

SPORT Sports rely on sponsorship and funding from several groups one of which is social clubs The introduction of this scheme threatens funding that sporting teams rely on to field a team, hire grounds, get insurance and purchase uniforms.

SPORT: 

SPORT As was previously stated clubs only return 2.7% of gambling profits back to the community, despite the majority of social clubs purpose being to benefit the community. Of the small percentage it is uncertain how much goes only to sport; however, it is clear that in spite of the substantial profits currently experienced by many social clubs their subsequent funding of the community is only a small percentage of that profit.

SPORT : 

SPORT Contributions towards higher performing teams and professional teams from social clubs are less common. This is primarily due to wider exposure experienced from the coverage of these games and subsequently the funding opportunities are more forthcoming than those for smaller community run sporting teams.

CONCLUSION: 

CONCLUSION It is clear that social clubs play a vital role within our communities forming a meeting place, function centre and providing funding for multiple community groups and sporting teams. However, the percentage of funding is very small compared to the profits made from gaming.

CONCLUSION: 

CONCLUSION It is unlikely that social clubs that regard supporting the community as an integral aspect of their businesses are likely to change these historic foundations. Furthermore, the funding does not have any clear links to the gaming profits made by these clubs. Finally, this presentation does not dispute that social clubs will face financial loss but it is not clear that this loss will substantially affect the community.

REFERENCES: 

REFERENCES Images Andrew Wilkie – http://evatt.org.au/news/australian-security-andrew-wilkie-launceston.html Capital Football, Gungahlin Eagles, Rams – http://www.thetradies.com.au/html/s02_article/article_view.asp?id=449&nav_cat_id=173&nav_top_id=59&search=true&dsb=3125 Capitals – http://www.canberraunited.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&id=23900 Central Hockey – http://centralhockey.org/central-hockey-club-officials Julia Gillard – http://www.pm.gov.au/your-pm Nick Xenophon - http://www.watoday.com.au/national/stimulus-package-on-life-support-20090212-85f0.html North Canberra Gungahlin Cricket Club – http://www.ncgcc.org.au/ Raiders – http://www.zerotackle.com.au/rugby-league/nrl/teams/jerseys/ Strikers – http://www.hockeyact.org.au/news-archive/news/article/2011/march/canberra-strikers-squad-announced/ Tony Abbott – http://www.aph.gov.au/house/members/member.asp?id=EZ5 Weston Creek Cricket Club – http://www.cricketact.com.au/grade-cricket/cricket-act-grade-clubs/weston-creek-cricket-club

REFERENCES: 

REFERENCES Commonwealth, The design and implementation of a mandatory pre-commitment system for electronic gaming machines: Parliamentary Joint Select Committee on Gambling Reform , First Report (2011) Anthony Ball, (2011) Clubs NSW http://www.clubsnsw.com.au/circulars/ResponseXeno.pdf (1/11/2011) Rob U Blind (2011) GetUp Australia http://www.getup.org.au ( 1/11/2011) James Massola , Gillard promises to uphold commitment to Independent MP on pokie reform, defy clubs (2011) The Australian http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/gillard-promises-to-uphold-commitment-to-independent-mp-on-pokie-reform-defy-clubs/story-fn59niix-1226037905469 (1/11/2011) Ben Eltham, Transparency Please! Why the tax breaks for pokies clubs? (2011) Crikey http://www.crikey.com.au/2011/09/27/clubs-australia-campaignand-pokies-revenue/ (1/11/2011)

REFERENCES: 

REFERENCES Nick Xenophon, Poker Machine Reform: The Headline Facts the Clubs and Hotels don’t want You to Know (2011) http://www.nickxenophon.com.au/itsabigfatlie/Images/Poker%20Machine%20Reform%20-%20Key%20Points.pdf (1/11/2011)