Blues top po-kies ladder as punters lose $19m Craig Butt and Richard Willingham
The Age
October 7, 2013 
Carlton has finished top of the po-kies losses ladder with punters dropping $19 million at the club's four venues, as total losses at Victorian AFL club-owned venues reached more than $85 million last year.
But losses at football club-owned venues dropped 12.2 per cent from nearly $97 million in 2011-12, a larger decrease than the rest of the state which saw po-kies losses drop by 7.1 per cent to nearly $2.5 billion over that period.
Essendon, Collingwood and Hawthorn rounded out the top four of largest po-kies losses.
Analysis by The Age of punter losses at po-kies venues in the state that were active in the past financial year found that losses at the venues owned by nine Victorian clubs - North Melbourne is the only club without po-ker machines - totalled $85,102,284.
Victorian clubs own 18 gaming venues, with 1317 machines. There are 27,760 po-ker machines in Victoria, excluding the Ca-sino, at 523 venues. Carlton owns 300 machines in four venues, where punters lost $19.1 million last financial year. At Collingwood, punters lost $13.2 million, at Essendon it was $11.9 million and at Hawthorn $11.3 million.
Collingwood had the biggest drop in po-kies losses at its venues over the past year, with a 25.4 per cent decrease. The International Hotel in Lilydale, which was owned by the club and raked in $3.3 million from 80 machines in 2011-12, closed in July 2012.
Since July 2012 ATMs have been banned in po-kies venues by the state government.
Losses at football club venues accounted for 3 per cent of nearly $2.5 billion worth of po-kies losses across the state in 2012-13.
Anti-po-kies campaigner Tim Costello said AFL clubs needed to end their relationship with po-ker machines.
''I welcome the publishing of the real AFL ladder. AFL clubs boast of their community support and what they put back; this tells you what they are taking out in terms of the cost to families, businesses and crime in the community,'' Mr Costello said.
''I think the AFL clubs should bite the bullet. Forty per cent of that revenue comes from addicted people.''
Public health and gambling expert Associate Professor Samantha Thomas said sporting bodies needed to step up to help battle po-kies-related harm.
''Sports clubs have an incredibly influential role in communities and there are really good examples of clubs having positive impacts on the health of the community,'' Dr Thomas said.
''But when sports organisations align themselves with potentially harmful products, whether it be junk food or alcohol or gambling, then they need to engage to be part of the solution in tackling these important public health issues.''
Greens gambling and sports spokesman Richard Di Natale said despite the good work of the AFL in indigenous and multiculturalism and physical health, it had dropped the ball on po-kies.
Nearly half of the losses on po-ker machines at football club-owned venues were in three municipalities - Monash, Melton and Hobsons Bay - which between them house six venues.
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/blues-top-po-kies-ladder-as-punters-lose-19m-20131006-2v2bu.html
