A group of younger Victorian Veterans is leading a campaign to take over the Victorian RSL and fully phase out poker machines from all the of the state's RSLs.
Draining some 200 million dollars a year from the states' gamblers RSLs are the second biggest operator of poker machines in Victoria behind retail giant Woolworths.
Only 52 RSLs in Victoria rely on gambling to raise revenue whereas the majority (230 RSLs) have already phased pokies out. Dave Petersen president of Camberwell RSL, one of the younger veterans behind the reform campaign, says this is proof RSLs can survive without Poker machines.
He argues, while RSLs raise large sums of money from pokies, these are of little benefit to veterans.
“In 2017 RSLs across Victoria generated about 270 million dollars worth of revenue but only 8 million dollars of profit; of that 8 million dollars only $ 447 000 went into the hands of veterans in need,” Dave Petersen says.
He stresses that most of the money raised through pokies goes into RSL’s operating costs. He also takes the opportunity to suggest alternative funding options.
“You could have a real estate portfolio and rent houses from that and generate income. You could use interest loans; you could have a share portfolio… "
According to him, these alternative funding options could generate more profits and, with more profits greater outcomes for veterans.
He adds that whilst the reformist group is made predominantly of younger veterans the call for change has nothing to do with age. It is more about the approach to funding.
Also, the group enjoys the support of older veterans and large swathes of the community as gambling is a scourge that afflicts a wide section of Victoria's population.
