Insight (1995)

Clubland (2011x31)

: 31, 2011

Will reforming the pokies kill clubs? Clubs and anti-gambling campaigners are in a bitter fight over poker machines. Under proposed reforms, gamblers will have to set a spending limit before playing the pokies. Clubs say the change will threaten their very survival, taking a big chunk out of their revenue. And that, in turn, would impact the services they offer communities. But those supporting reform say the changes will only affect high-risk problem gamblers, and most Aussie punters won’t be affected. And they say clubs – which enjoy tax breaks – aren’t channelling enough of their poker machine money back into the community. Insight brings together two key players spearheading each side of the debate – Independent MP Andrew Wilkie and Anthony Ball from Clubs Australia – as well as ordinary club-goers and gambling experts to examine what’s at stake.