Canberra clubs giving gambling profits back to themselves, rather … – ABC Online

Updated May 18, 2017 15:55:57

Clubs in Canberra are donating large amounts of poker machine revenue to themselves, new research has found.

Clubs are required to set aside 8 per cent of profit from pokies to support communities, but the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) asked gambling researcher Charles Livingstone to find out where that money was going.

Dr Livingstone said the clubs said they contributed more than $7 million in cash in 2014-15, but most of that appeared to be the clubs donating to themselves.

"So about 70 per cent of the claims appear to be the clubs basically making donations to themselves and much of that goes to elite sportspeople, wages for coaches and that sort of thing," he said.

"Our research discovered the contributions they make to the community are minuscule compared to the amount of harm they inflict on the ACT community."

The FARE report also found only $63,000 was given to problem gambling, with only a few of Canberra's 46 clubs making a donation.

"The money only came from one or two clubs and most of the money that was claimed as a contribution to problem gambling was spent by a club on its staff training rather than on providing services to gamblers," Dr Livingstone said.

But local clubs have rejected the research.

Gwyn Rees from Clubs ACT labelled the report "offensive" and "farcical".

"The community contributions are set at a certain level. Separately there is a fund specifically allocated to dealing with problem gambling," he said.

"That fund is set at the moment at 6 per cent of net gaming revenue and it will move to 7.5 per cent at July 1."

Canberra Southern Cross Club chief executive Ian Mackay also criticised the research.

"We support over 350 community groups, schools and local charities to the tune of around $1.5 million," he said.

"We just don't agree with the research that has been done."

In a statement, a spokesperson from the ACT Government said it would work with clubs and other interested stakeholders to improve the community contributions process.

The ABC has approached the five biggest clubs in Canberra for a response.

A spokeswoman for the Labor Club said: "We don't have a comment for the media."

The Tradies Club was also unavailable for comment.

Topics: gambling, community-and-society, clubs-and-associations, canberra-2600, act, australia

First posted May 18, 2017 12:16:39

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Canberra clubs giving gambling profits back to themselves, rather ... - ABC Online