Only Five Clubs Profit Without Pokies - The Big 5?

[Tzatziki_Man]

Moves backwards slowly…

But seriously, this is ****ing ridiculous. How the hell are the clubs reliant on gaming revenue so desperately? One small tweak with our law and the competition can crumble. Time to lower football expenditure, seems like all clubs are spending money they obviously don't have. This is where the issues will lie in football within the next five years. This precident of increasing football expenses to keep up with the rich clubs could backfire on the competition. Too much money is being spent.

The five clubs that made a profit without non-football revenue - almost all of which is from poker machine venues - were Collingwood, Richmond, West Coast, Fremantle and North Melbourne. The Kangaroos are the clear outlier from that group of five and, according to the club, made a profit of $1.3 million in 2013 as a result of running a very low-cost operation.

Even Hawthorn, the 2013 premier and one of the game’s most financially robust clubs, had a profit that was assisted by pokie earnings. The Hawks made a healthy profit of $3.1 million in 2013, but they are understood to have earned more than $4 million from their lucrative Waverley Gardens gaming venue, and have plans to earn more from their new Caroline Springs venue.


Geelong, another fiscally strong club that has excelled at all levels, confirmed to Fairfax Media that it would not have been profitable in 2013 without poker machine earnings. The Cats made a net profit of $1.2 million last year.

Carlton earned profits of about $2.7 million from its poker machine operations - spearheaded by benefactor and pokies magnate Bruce Mathieson - which helped it to record a profit of $528,095.

Collingwood made a massive operating profit of $5.22 million in 2013 (plus one-off grants of $11.15 million for its facility for a overall profit of $16.375 million), while Richmond did extraordinary well for a club without significant poker machine revenues, the Tigers making $3.3 million on the back of a hefty membership, gate receipts and the team’s improvement to play finals.

West Coast and Fremantle do not have poker machines and still managed healthy profits, with the Eagles reaping $4.1 million.

But the major surprise from the survey of clubs’ profitably and gaming operations are the Kangaroos, whose chief executive Carl Dilena said the club had run a lean operation that enabled it to make a profit of about $1.3 million.


Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-ne...hout-pokies-20140325-zqmvj.html#ixzz2x3BkmqR4

 

[Billy ray]

Moves backwards slowly…

But seriously, this is ******* ridiculous. How the hell are the clubs reliant on gaming revenue so desperately? One small tweak with our law and the competition can crumble. Time to lower football expenditure, seems like all clubs are spending money they obviously don't have. This is where the issues will lie in football within the next five years. This precident of increasing football expenses to keep up with the rich clubs could backfire on the competition. Too much money is being spent.

Imagine how profitable freo and west coast would be if pokies were allowed in WA!!! All those cashed up miners who love to spend their disposable high incomes...

 

[Kram]

I'm so glad that we don't have those filthy machines out West.

 

[Jay-Z]

Has been said many times before but I'm proud that my club does the right thing and makes a profit without using those things

 

[The Speaker]

As pointed out in the article, clubs spend according to expected revenue.

Which means there should be many clubs lowering their spending so that they can get rid of these things once and for all.

 

[Lensen]

I've said it before, but the billion dollar TV rights at the expense of an equal distribution of prime time TV is not healthy for the game and it would easily cope with $200m less in the game with a fairer distribution.

All more $$$ in the game does - when it is divvied up on a disequal basis, either directly or, as is currently the case, indirectly - is invent more things to spend it on and creates an arms race, which means it's a drive to get more and more and more revenue just to keep up with the Joneses.

There's no reason at all that "not for profit" AFL clubs should be involved in poker machines and other non-football investments that are detrimental to the community

 

[Belnakor]

There's no reason at all that "not for profit" AFL clubs should be involved in poker machines and other non-football investments that are detrimental to the community

thats ultimately what it comes down to. These clubs are supposed to be part of the community and helping it, not feeding off people's misery.

 

[ManOfClay]

Has been said many times before but I'm proud that my club does the right thing and makes a profit without using those things

And you would have been told numerous times the decision not to have pokies was not a moral one by North. So when you say North "does the right thing" you need to acknowledge you had them and mismanaged them. It wasn't a conscious decision to get rid of. This morality didn't stop you operating Roobet either.

 

[SHAKESPEARE]

Our Waverley Gardens pokie joint is sad. The amount of shitty things locals do to fill our poke coffers is eye opening.

Pokies are shit

 

[Belnakor]

Has been said many times before but I'm proud that my club does the right thing and makes a profit without using those things

TBH i think the Kanga's have far more to be proud of than Freo/West Coast as they have a choice. if West Coast / Freo had a choice I don't doubt they would have them.

 

[100action]

small tink to the law and the competition crumbles?

I am sorry but in that case overall spending will decrease and the market will adjust accordingly.

 

[Belnakor]

small tink to the law and the competition crumbles?

I am sorry but in that case overall spending will decrease and the market will adjust.

It would wipe out half of the NRL - worth considering

 

[Messenger]

There's no reason at all that "not for profit" AFL clubs should be involved in poker machines and other non-football investments that are detrimental to the community

I hope Collingwood doesn't hold a liquor licence then. Alcohol is a scourge.

 

[Lensen]

I hope Collingwood doesn't hold a liquor licence then. Alcohol is a scourge.

Are you seriously pulling an off-topic "I hope your club doesn't xxx" as a mod?

I had the understanding Collingwood do have a pokie license but it they derived profit outside it - so in my post I was criticising Collingwood as well. If we've got rid of them, good, but that doesn't change my view. Given Collingwood are one of the prime beneficiaries of the disequal propotions of coverage the TV deal provides, I can't fathom how you took my post as a Collingwood supporter sneering down the nose at those who actually run pokie venues.

EDIT: As at December 2013 per this article Collingwood did have poker machines so they absolutely come under the criticism I've fired at the league as a whole.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/a...ker-machine-cash/story-fni5f22o-1226788374023

 

[Jay-Z]

And you would have been told numerous times the decision not to have pokies was not a moral one by North. So when you say North "does the right thing" you need to acknowledge you had them and mismanaged them. It wasn't a conscious decision to get rid of. This morality didn't stop you operating Roobet either.

And as you would have been told numerous times, the current administration of the club is strongly against pokies and has been first class in the way they have engaged with the community in general including ditching roobet two years ago and signing an agreement with world vision which stipulates that we will not earn any revenue from gambling, as well as starting up The Huddle, etc

 

[im_a_lazy_sod]

I hope Collingwood doesn't hold a liquor licence then. Alcohol is a scourge.

Should they not allow cars either? Motor vehicle accidents account for over a 1,000 deaths yearly in Australia

 

[Messenger]

Are you seriously pulling an off-topic "I hope your club doesn't xxx" as a mod?

I had the understanding Collingwood do have a pokie license but it they derived profit outside it - so in my post I was criticising Collingwood as well. If we've got rid of them, good, but that doesn't change my view. Given Collingwood are one of the prime beneficiaries of the disequal propotions of coverage the TV deal provides, I can't fathom how you took my post as a Collingwood supporter sneering down the nose at those who actually run pokie venues.

EDIT: As at December 2013 per this article Collingwood did have poker machines so they absolutely come under the criticism I've fired at the league as a whole.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/a...ker-machine-cash/story-fni5f22o-1226788374023

And you're pulling the "greater good" argument.

You can argue whether pokies should be a feature of the landscape in Victoria at all (and I certainly don't frequent them) but if its legal (like alcohol) but has no useful purpose (like alcohol) but can be used safely (like alcohol) then what is the problem? This idea that football clubs need to be purer than other business is very cute, but nonsense.

 

[Lensen]

And you're pulling the "greater good" argument.

You can argue whether pokies should be a feature of the landscape in Victoria at all (and I certainly don't frequent them) but if its legal (like alcohol) but has no useful purpose (like alcohol) but can be used safely (like alcohol) then what is the problem? This idea that football clubs need to be purer than other business is very cute, but nonsense.

You conveniently ignore the "not for profit" bit of my original post.

If they want to run as conventional businesses, then that's fine. Don't hide behind a "community focussed not for profit organisation" banner then and pay company tax like other businesses have to.

Can't have your cake and eat it too.

 

[Belnakor]

I honestly don't understand why non-for-profit clubs are allowed to own things like Pubs and Pokies. Makes no sense. Non for profit should be adding community benefit otherwise why exactly are they given tax concessions.

 

[Randy Campbell]

I'm so glad that we don't have those filthy machines out West.

The only problem is our RSL and local sports clubs are broken down and filthy.

 

[Belnakor]

The only problem is our RSL and local sports clubs are broken down and filthy.

willing to live with that so we don't have to deal with the bullshit around pokies they have over east.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

I would have thought if the activity was legal, then each club has that avenue open to them when it comes to raising revenue. If the laws of the land altered in any way, then my club would have to curtail their involvement and seek other ways to generate income. I really can't see the point of the thread.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

AFL club profit figures really don't mean much because the biggest number in them, revenue, is in no way a reflection of what the club actually generates.

 

[Obese Arachnid]

Good on those clubs taking a moral stance or just not financially able to buy more pokies.

I look forward to all clubs stopping from selling alcohol but that is not the real monster.

The Parma is what is truly leading Australia astray. Crumbed, & usually slowly shallow fried (at a low temp to allow maximum vegetable fat absorption) incasing chicken (MRM-mechanically reclaimed meat) is then subjected to a sweet tomato sauce. Outrageous, this must be stopped.

 

[jim boy]

Put a 75 cents tax on pokie profits, 25 cents of which should go to combating gambling addiction