Canberra clubs granted funds to reduce pokie dependence

Six Canberra clubs have been granted almost AU$1m to fund diversification projects.

Australia.- The Australian Central Territory government’s gambling diversification fund has distributed almost AU$1m among Canberra clubs to support projects aimed at reducing their reliance on poker machine revenue. The grants will fund various initiatives such as outdoor dining areas, conference centres and indoor golf facilities as part of efforts to reduce the number of poker machines in the territory.

According to the Canberra Times, six clubs will benefit from the funding. The Murrumbidgee Country Club and the Canberra North Bowling and ACT Rugby Union Club will receive the largest grants of AU$200,000. Murrumbidgee Country Club will use the funds to construct an indoor golf facility, while Canberra North Bowling and ACT Rugby Union Club will build a new café and upgrade their kitchen.

The Croatia Deakin Soccer Club will redesign and rebuild its main entry and install a lift to improve accessibility using the AU$175,000 it has been awarded. Meanwhile, the Canberra Southern Cross Club has been granted AU$100,000 to develop an outdoor dining area on its Corinna Street frontage.

The Canberra Labor Club will receive AU$150,000 to develop a conference centre at the Mercure Hotel in Belconnen, and the Eastlake Football Club will use AU$150,000 to install solar panels at three of its clubs.

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The gambling diversification fund was established in 2019 and is financed by clubs, which are required to contribute AU$20 per month for their first 99 poker machine licences and AU$30 for each machine above that number. Clubs can apply for funding from the scheme to use for diversifying their revenue streams away from poker machines.

Gaming minister Shane Rattenbury has said that the fund is crucial for the government’s harm reduction policies and supports clubs in transitioning away from poker machine revenue. The government has set a target of reducing the number of poker machines in territory clubs to 3,500 by 2024.

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