I wouldn’t put it past Sussex Street to actually do some washing of “brown paper bags” of cash they receive themselves from vested interests that perhaps should be banned from political donations in Sydney.
Let alone pocketing pokie revenue from regular punters
Didn’t Steve Conroy move on from a Minister job getting blockers to prevent kids watching harmful comment, to a job with some gaming connected private sector big end of towner?
Allegedly a power broker in Vic ALP
I emailed Tanner years ago about my dislike for pokies, but I didn’t get a response. Unfortunately I heard from someone who works at the EFC that they need the money.
The subject has been raised at several AGMs that I can remember, dating back over a decade. Always the response is that they’re working on it, it’s a slow process, etc etc.
I expect the club to get serious about moving out of the pokies business around about the time they get serious about moving our home ground to the MCG.
Probably. The point is I think is gambling compromises all spheres of life.
So back on topic its probably a good thing that Essendon either gets out of the pokes or uses its stake in the industry in victoria to push for change.
The Leagues clubs in NSW have mountains more poker machines than AFL clubs in NSW. But havent heard boo from them.
Ben Brown seems like one of the genuine good eggs of the AFL
Why aren’t they paid for using their image in promo ads?
College footballers in USA now have some image rights, paid for using their image. And they are amateurs.
It’s built into their contracts.
I know some players get paid a little more for doing media commitments on top of the regular stuff
Essendon had an issue with some tertiary institute using their players studying there in promos.
Why should they have it in their contracts to benefit the AFL in its connections with gambling companies.
EFC has satisfied the conditions to meet the responsible gambling criteria ( which includes not advertising) but its players have contracts only allowing opt outs?
Thanks @Houli_Dooli for posting this latest article. It highlights the growing opposition to sporting clubs supporting the gambling industry and shows how Essendon’s reliance on Pokies Licences will damage its reputation more and more the longer it holds on to its licences…
Yet another example of how Essendon FC has lost its way - no longer the club that sets standards for the rest of the competition!
Its very smart business sense to opt out.
Its not going to enhance your reputation (for other opportunities) and if your a good player they(gambling companies) will always be interested in the future.
Particularly ones that aren’t the “official partner”.
[AFL 2023: Teal MP Zoe Daniel attacks AFL over gambling ads]
Yet another article in The Age about the pervasiveness of gambling in sports. Hope the Essendon Board is reading these articles.
(AFL 2023: Teal MP Zoe Daniel attacks AFL over gambling ads)
Zoe is a Bomber supporter, traced back to her father as a player.
Tim Costello has stopped being a Bomber supporter because of the pokies.
The sports betting one is a real ticking time bomb. Advertising of it needs to be addressed but in the meantime the AFL is wilfully going down the path of relying more and more on revenue from sports betting companies. It’s not just the $15-20m figure directly from agreements between the AFL and gambling companies but the closer to $287.2m (in 2021) of advertising the industry spent which helps prop up broadcast rights deals.
Thanks @bigallan. I think it is a shame that Tim Costello has had to walk away from the Club. I wonder how much revenue the Club is missing out on from reduced membership and sponsorships because of its position on pokies?
What further pressure can be put on the Board to look into this important issue. Is there a group of members who have joined together to push this issue with the Club? If not, would anyone be interested in forming a group to try to get the Club to commit to getting rid of its pokies licences?
This is a disgrace EFC. Great article by the age. Can’t believe we are still up to our eyeballs in this.
The evidence is in. Pokies suck money from people and families who can least afford it.
Selling the licenses to the next profit hungry entity feels like a cop out…I’d like us to do more somehow as penance for our sins.
I have friends that have emailed the club post this article and I’ll be doing the same.
Need to see some sort of plan on this imminently or it will factor into my decision to continue supporting the club financially.
There might be some, but compared to the pokies income stream, the amount of forgone money would be tiny. Pokies are grossly, insanely lucrative. They are an extraordinarily efficient way to get people to give you their money. There’s almost nothing which earns more money with anything like the level of reliability or lack of risk. That’s why clubs have them. There isn’t really a purely financial argument for moving away from pokies. You have to have that conversation on the ethical/social level.
I guess they could just jack up all memberships by $150, that should cover it. No doubt there would be plenty that would complain though
I know that’s fairly tongue in cheek but just before if becomes a blitz fact, based on 2022 membership number of 86,001 and venue profit of $3.37m then it would only be $39.18 a member.