News Hawks Pokie Payday in Melton Shire

[Buddy Guy]

It seems Victorian Greens spokesperson Colleen Hartland, is accusing the Hawks of "fleecing" the good folk of the Melton Shire with West Waters Hotel bringing the Hawks a whopping $3000.00 per day in gaming revenue since it opened it doors last year.
She has also taken a decent swipe at Collingwood as well.

This was front page news in the local rag, the Melton Leader, this week.

http://melton-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/clubs-pokie-payday-in-melton-shire/

FOOTBALL clubs have been accused of fleecing Melton shire residents through growing numbers of pokie machines.
Victorian Greens spokesperson for gambling Colleen Hartland hit out at Hawthorn after new figures revealed the club’s West Waters Hotel in Caroline Springs had raked in almost $3000 a day since it opened late last year.

 

[RustyHawk]

Only $3,000 a day. What that is only a Million per annum.

I suppose if we add Food & Beverage sales & accomodation and hire of venue the profit figure will look better.

Poor Colleen. No one is holding a gun to their head, if that is the way people want to spend THEIR time and THEIR money, so be it.

Maybe dear Greeny could suggest some alternatives like attending a 'Save the Tadpole' convention or something equally as exciting.

 

[hfc70]

Rusty, she would be happy for people to spend the money on Carbon Tax than Poker machines

 

[Henry Jr]

If you give everyone 50 bucks, some with goto the bottle shop, some will goto the movies, some people will buy a pack of ciggies and some will goto the pokies.

I don't see the problem

 

[SHAKESPEARE]

Don't like exploiting families and sick individuals through the use of these cancerous machines.

I hate that we do it.

 

[bards]

At the end of the day someone will own these machines. Better to be clubs where in theory the money is returned to the people than it being a Bruce Mathieson type where he is making the money. People against these machines need to direct it at the government who makes them legal, can't blame a club for participating in a legal business activity. Also the complex as a whole provided lots of jobs for the surrounding suburbs

 

[Mr Meeseeks]

Don't like exploiting families and sick individuals through the use of these cancerous machines.

I hate that we do it.

I'm pretty conflicted too.

My heart says I want the Hawks to have the best facilities possible, my head says its no better than selling smack to raise funds.

Speaking of which... big money...

 

[Dinsdale]

Yes I hate the way the Hawks bus goes around collecting people, herding them into the pokie room, then forces them to feed money into the machines, and has tough guys making them press the buttons...

...whats that??? These people go and play the pokies of their own volition? No way!

Not even a storm in a teacup, the weak-willed will waste their money whereever they can, horses, doggis, pokies, lotto, scratchies the list is endless.

 

[hfc70]

If it wasn't Hawthron it would be someone else, so I'm glad it's Hawthorn

 

[Scrads]

I'm so angry that I am gonna storm right down to the club and make them give me back the $20 I put on them winning the flag last year.

 

[Ordovician]

Don't like exploiting families and sick individuals through the use of these cancerous machines.

I hate that we do it.

Correct.

Some people here clearly fail to make the distinction between legal and ethical.

If the club wishes to make money out of human misery, why doesn't the club launch its own tobacco company?

 

[sociable hawk]

Don't see her complaining about state of the art trotting track thats just been built in Melton. If Hawthorn really wanted to exploit gambling victims they would build one next door to Fev's house.

 

[Quietasamouse]

Don't like exploiting families and sick individuals through the use of these cancerous machines.

I hate that we do it.

I am with you Shakespeare. We know we do it, but I would prefer we didn't. North Melbourne do not draw a revenue stream to their club from Pokies and that is why I also have a membership with them.

The harm the addiction to playing these machines can do to families is something the "Family Club" should consider.

I know that it is an individual's choice to play these machines, however when their judgement is often impaired by alcohol it is difficult to resist what ever their vice maybe. That's my opinion and it is something that I am not proud that the HFC does.

Surely the creative business minded leaders at the club can come up with other ways of generating revenue.

 

[Quietasamouse]

If it wasn't Hawthron it would be someone else, so I'm glad it's Hawthorn

Who cares if someone else is doing it. If it was discovered that Collingwood cheated last year to win the Grand Final would that make it ok for us to do it this year.

North Melbourne do not draw a revenue stream to their club from Pokies and that is why I also have a membership with them.

And before you jump over me for being a North Melbourne Troll again. I support the HFC financially and emotionally as does my entire "Family". I only support the NMFC financially because Eugene Rocca made a point of their moral stance against drawing revenue from this, albeit legal, ethically questionable source.

 

[Pessimistic]

Footy in victoria is not profitable on its core business. This is due to huge stadium stuff-ups by visionary former leaders,

hence the clubs dabble in dubious off field businesses to make money.

Lets not forget the club closed down the Hawthorn social club because the pokies were losing money

 

[PeeRod]

And before you jump over me for being a North Melbourne Troll again. I support the HFC financially and emotionally as does my entire "Family". I only support the NMFC financially because Eugene Rocca made a point of their moral stance against drawing revenue from this, albeit legal, ethically questionable source.

How's that going for them?


Also, LOL, that makes 1 in 3 North Melbourne members Hawthorn supporters.


Considering the high amount of AFL teams running around with sports betting agencies as sponsors these days, litterally advertising their services to kids, and also having odds shoved down our throats across all forms of media, i dont see a problem with letting adults make their own choice to gamble responsibly through pokie machines. Ethics aside, this is a good business venture.

 

[B&GBlood]

I wish there was a more ethical way to finance the club. Gambling does cause social problems; it would be better to not be so closely linked to it.

 

[Fluro Boots]

Who cares if someone else is doing it. If it was discovered that Collingwood cheated last year to win the Grand Final would that make it ok for us to do it this year.



And before you jump over me for being a North Melbourne Troll again. I support the HFC financially and emotionally as does my entire "Family". I only support the NMFC financially because Eugene Rocca made a point of their moral stance against drawing revenue from this, albeit legal, ethically questionable source.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news mate, but you've been conned.

The only reason North Melbourne don't have pokies as a revenue stream is because it's just another of their tried and failed business ideas. They had pokies at etihad stadium and were losing money on them. They sold them off and used the whole moral stance thing as spin to cover up yet another failed venture.

Do you seriously beleive that had they been making good money there that a broke club like North would have got out of it due to ethics? nope. pure spin.

Might have saved you some cash on a membership here, perhaps you can check out caroline springs.

 

[Dinsdale]

Who cares if someone else is doing it. If it was discovered that Collingwood cheated last year to win the Grand Final would that make it ok for us to do it this year.

silly analogy, they are hardly the same.

And before you jump over me for being a North Melbourne Troll again. I support the HFC financially and emotionally as does my entire "Family". I only support the NMFC financially because Eugene Rocca made a point of their moral stance against drawing revenue from this, albeit legal, ethically questionable source.

I'm not going to jump on you for that, but perhaps your ethical donation to Nth Melbourne could have gone to Gamblers Anonymous instead? Or did you join them in the remote chance your membership may stop them going under and disappearing from AFL?

Serisouly, an argument that people gamble when they are drunk just means they shouldn't get so pissed. How many of these poeple would go elsewhere for their pokie fix if the venue in question didn't have them?

I'll put it another way - I went on a fishing trip with a bunch of mates last weekend, and while at a local bowlo we all got pissed. Half of them started gambling on the pokies, because they are gamblers, half of us didn't because we are not gamblers...gamblers gamble, just look at the half-wit Fev.

 

[Rioli magic]

I only support the NMFC financially because Eugene Rocca made a point of their moral stance against drawing revenue from this, albeit legal, ethically questionable source.

http://roobet.com.au/Home/Default.aspx

 

[Hodgepodge]

I'd prefer we didn't have pokies either. Oh well.

 

[Hodgepodge]

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news mate, but you've been conned.

The only reason North Melbourne don't have pokies as a revenue stream is because it's just another of their tried and failed business ideas. They had pokies at etihad stadium and were losing money on them. They sold them off and used the whole moral stance thing as spin to cover up yet another failed venture.

Don't they have Roobet, which is an online gambling thingy?

 

[Off The Couch]

While everyone is responsible for their own actions and I too would prefer that the club didn't have this as a source of revenue when you consider that Victoria has a gambling revenue of 7.22 billion then the hawks profit is but a mere drop in the ocean.

Does this make it right - no it doesn't, but what it does suggest is that Ms Hartland should concentrate on the bigger picture and go after that rather than trying to make headlines by taking to task two small minnows in such a big pond.

 

[SHAKESPEARE]

I'd like to see us reduce the dependency on gaining income from pokie machines over a certain period of time, and I believe that one day we will totally be out of the business.

 

[Hodgepodge]

While everyone is responsible for their own actions and I too would prefer that the club didn't have this as a source of revenue when you consider that Victoria has a gambling revenue of 7.22 billion then the hawks profit is but a mere drop in the ocean.

True but this is just a rationalisation. I think like this sometimes too and I have to stop myself cos I sound like one of them smartass pokie vendors.