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AFL Side Collingwood In Talks To Sell Pokies To MRC

AFL clubs are trying to find alternative revenue that would allow them to get rid of video poker.getty images

Australian Football League side Collingwood "is deep in negotiations with the Melbourne Racing Club over a ground-breaking deal that would see the Magpies sell their lucrative poker machine venues," according to Jake Niall of THE AGE. Another "leading AFL club," Geelong, "also has held discussions with the MRC about a potential sale of its gaming venue" at Point Cook, in a "further sign that the AFL's growing distaste for poker machines is gaining club support." Collingwood's discussions with the racing club -- which runs the Caulfield, Sandown and Mornington racecourses and operates 11 gaming venues -- "are more advanced than the talks involving the Cats, who are on record with their wish to exit gaming venues." Collingwood and the MRC have been discussing the potential sale of the Magpies' two gaming venues: The Club, which is based at Caroline Springs, and The Coach and Horses in Ringwood. They operate 156 machines at the two venues, which took more than A$7M ($5.6M) from gamblers in the six months to Dec. 31. Sources said that while the talks between the Magpies and the MRC "have been extensive and are well advanced, there was still some work to do" before a deal was finalized (THE AGE, 2/16).

'HIGHER PURPOSE': In Melbourne, Daniel Cherny reported AFL side Richmond CEO Brendon Gale said that his club almost has a "higher purpose" than football, "as he reiterated the Tigers' shift to reduce their reliance on pokies." With the issue of alternative revenue streams at AFL clubs a "hot topic," Gale "echoed the sentiments" of Hawthorn President Jeff Kennett that "alternative means of income would need to be found if the nine Victorian clubs were to move away from gaming venues as a source of revenue," but noted that a recent Richmond staff survey "had highlighted to him the importance of having a football club that stood for something." Richmond has in recent years diversified its non-football revenue streams "in the form of Aligned Leisure and the Richmond Institute of Sports Leadership." Gale: "We’re diversifying our business in a way that’s consistent with our purpose. Football clubs have an incredibly privileged position in this country, and it doesn’t come without responsibility" (THE AGE, 2/15).

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