PHaC and Crowe want to "Blow up the Pokies"

[fLIP]

PHaC and Crowe want to "Blow up the Pokies"

While I hate South Sydney, I really admire the work that PHac and Crowe are doing to make their team the 'family' club.



SOUTH Sydney Leagues Club is set to dump its 160 poker machines in a historic move expected to cost millions of dollars in lost gaming revenue.
Rabbitohs co-owner Russell Crowe has requested the new Souths Leagues Club at Redfern re-open in 2008 without pokies, breaking the tradition of rugby league clubs being underwritten by gaming cash.

Crowe's business partner Peter Holmes a Court last night said the refitted club, part of a $35 million redevelopment, would be made viable with income generated from quality food and entertainment, conferences and commercial rents.

"The conventional wisdom is that if you don't have poker machines a club will go broke, but I believe that there are plenty of people who don't come because of the pokies," Mr Holmes a Court told The Daily Telegraph.

"I believe it's about finding a whole new audience."

He said the move would be good "corporate responsibility" as more than half the club's gaming income in the past would have come from people who received social security benefits.

Taking the profits from poker machines also was at odds with the club's other social programs, including the Souths Cares scheme involving assistance to indigenous communities.

"We don't believe it's an appropriate part of the new business," Mr Holmes a Court said. The final decision will be made by the Leagues Club board.

Mr Holmes a Court yesterday held talks with chairman Bill Alexiou-Hucker and senior director Jim Hatfield.

After emerging from the meeting, Mr Alexiou-Hucker said the "radical" proposal would not be formally considered until his board was given a business plan.

"The bottom line is that we are answerable to the members and we have to make sure their interests and money are taken care of," he said.

"With something this radical, you have to say, 'Show us the money'."
Crowe first approached Mr Holmes a Court with the idea a month ago.

"Russell asked me to see if I could make this happen financially," the millionaire businessman said.

Based on average annual profits for club poker machines in inner Sydney, the decision would mean the club would lose as much as $7 million a year in gaming profits.

But Mr Holmes a Court said there were other less socially-devastating income streams available to the club.

"I accept a wager from time to time and gaming is a reasonable pastime. I don't believe everyone who enjoys gaming is evil. But, there is a time and a place for gaming and I don't believe that South Sydney is the time or the place."

Mr Holmes a Court noted that in Western Australia, where he grew up, no club had access to poker machine revenue yet they remained in business.

Clubs, restaurants and other licensed premises in many other parts of the world were also viable without gambling, he said.
The decision yesterday was given strong support by anti-pokies campaigner Reverend Tim Costello.

He declared Mr Holmes a Court was a "pioneer" in the area of corporate responsibility "and it takes courage to be a pioneer". "I think its magnificent," he said.

 

[Matabele]

PHaC and Crowe want to "Blow up the Pokies"

wowsers.

 

[byso]

PHaC and Crowe want to "Blow up the Pokies"

Great idea. I also reckon Crowe has done a great job with souths.

 

[Dan]

PHaC and Crowe want to "Blow up the Pokies"

great idea, but it wont work

 

[Garts]

PHaC and Crowe want to "Blow up the Pokies"

Exactly, it will not be sustainable.

I would imagine not many people will want to hold conferences at Souths Leagues club when there are so many other venues in the city. As for the clientele that would usually frequent the leagues club, I do not think they would be too fussed on quality food and I can not see them bringing in a different crowd.

 

[DSM5]

PHaC and Crowe want to "Blow up the Pokies"

Just so patronizing from the new rich kids in town. To get rid of the social security players from the space that they've always been in. The plan is to upscale the area to another white middle class enclave. Why doesn't he just admit he doesn't want those smelly proletariate skulking into his space.

 

[byso]

PHaC and Crowe want to "Blow up the Pokies"

DSM , thats a good twist to the issue. They are infact trying to rid of the people they say they want to help.......interesting.....Bloody racists

 

[fLIP]

PHaC and Crowe want to "Blow up the Pokies"

DSM , thats a good twist to the issue. They are infact trying to rid of the people they say they want to help.......interesting.....Bloody racists

Thats a huge call to imply that the Leagues Club members on welfare are aboriginal byso.

 

[byso]

PHaC and Crowe want to "Blow up the Pokies"

In Redfern, hardly Huge.

 

[ManlyBacker]

PHaC and Crowe want to "Blow up the Pokies"

The Hotel industry has controlled the pubs and is refusing to go towards a more family friendly wine bar and eatery style of entertainment venue while they persist in skinning punters from their $500,000 machines. Well done to Souths for attempting to do something different and I hope it is successful.

 

[DSM5]

PHaC and Crowe want to "Blow up the Pokies"

Look, for anyone who's remotely interested in inner city politics and the demographic issue here's the score. Sartor, Clover Moore and their ilk are desperate to move the indigenous population, the elderly and the poor out of the area. They are intent in demolishing the huge number of public housing dwellings and having a 'mix' of private and public instead. All for the gentrification of the inner city. Russell and Peter are just the front end of this movement. Clean up (ie remove the poor and the disposssed) out of the inner city and therefore make a killing on the rising property values and remove the policing and social problems of that area from view.

 

[Canteen Worker]

PHaC and Crowe want to "Blow up the Pokies"

Very important to note that there is a very big difference between the suburbs and the inner city. Families live in the burbs and the concerns are very middle Australia - where the polies pitch to. In the inner city there are many single dwellers, different arrangements, they are less conservative and more environmentally concerned etc. Look at who they elect to see the difference. Their idea might be a goer.

Seeing the number of people who waste their cash on pokies and the huge profits, I can't help but think Good on them for at least giving it a go.

 

[DSM5]

PHaC and Crowe want to "Blow up the Pokies"

It's a poo concern. Russell and Peter want to piss of the poor and dispossessed from their playground so they can market the Redfern square as an upmarket island of middle class respectability. Redevelop the 'club' into offices, markets, apartments and shops. Let the ordinary go on down to the local RSL and hang out. Anywhere but around our door. It's patronizing and pathetic. "Let them wear Armani". Bull****e people, bull****e club.