13 January 2009

Raiders gobbling up West Belco Leagues - Smoking kills the pokie stars?

| johnboy
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The ABC reports that the West Belconnen Leagues Club is telling its members the only hope of survival is flogging their poker machine licences to the Raiders.

Apparently the smoking ban is forcing punters to step outside periodically, at which point they often decide to do something other than stuff their money into the bandits.

Disaster ensues for the club.

How the Raiders will run the club more sustainably is something of a mystery.

Is there a market for an all-weather poker machine suitable for operation in beer gardens?

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The trouble West Belconnen is in is the fault of poor management and nothing else. The Board need to get rid of him and approach a lender with a fresh approach to trading there way out of the mess that Penca got the joint into. The Vikings Board did it and now its Westies turn.

Will the Board stand up and act in the best interests of the members who voted them in??????

Nambucco Deliria9:38 am 15 Jan 09

I disagree. Vikings in Erindale is full of seedy pokie players and elderly drinkers – a much nicer blend.

I used to go to Westies but it has gone down hill. The food is rubbish and the lady that calls the raffles should hand the Mic over to some one else. Pokies dont pay anymore either.

I can only say great things about Mapies. The food is tasty and you get service with a smile.

Not to mention the unruly trivia fanatics!

Southern Cross used to have the right idea – cheap reel to reel movies (where you could get drinks at the bar while they were on), expansive lounge areas with comfy seats, live music in the background, free pool tables, cheap cocktails, cheap exercise classes etc etc.

The Dickson Tradies also used to be good for a get together, but is now a homogenous expanse of cheap plastic seats and rows of pokies.

These clubs have become the preserve of the elderly pokie players and the seedy drinkers.

Again with my whole hate of WBLC… Last time I was there the Manly/NZ NRL semi final was on.. They refused to even turn up the TV so me and my mates could listen.

Another group watching the AFL replay on a different tv also complained as they were refused to allow their tv to be turned up aswell..

I still stand that WBLC dont care about the people who come into the club, and who cares if they need a bail out… it will probably be for the good.

At the risk of stating the obvious and adding little in way of content.

There is this funny word I keep hearing/seeing in the tech world its called “innovation” Apparently in that world you need to innovate or you will die.

Given we are talking about clubs here on a website maybe there is something in that. Perhaps the clubs that are failing have failed to innovate. I know that like a lot of others here, pokies are a non interest, as is smoking inside, (or at all), in fact pokies and smokiness turn me away.

I know that like others before me here I don’t know what will get the punters back, but its certainly not whining about how hard it is without indoor smoking. I’m betting that if there was some innovation somewhere it might get plugged here and we might even venture out and have a look. The live music industry has always survived in some form by just such a set of informal networks

That clubs in the ACT can’t turn a profit is no ones fault but their own. If they thought a bit of lobbying was going to perpetually delay the smoking bans and create an ongoing business, they were hardly investing in their own future.

As has been said elsewhere, the best thing about recessions or global downturns is that all the really below average and sub-par businesses get to fail.

There are a lot of business in the hospitality industry in this town that once they are gone, no-one will miss. The good ones, will prosper.

I’d suggest this is exactly what will happen to clubs. If its important to you, join get on the board and change ’em. I’m happy to wait until clubs can work out how to make themselves a place I want to go to.

Meanwhile I, like you, can probably be found here more often than near a pokie machine.

Ainslie footy Club has absolutely overloaded itself with poker machines. They have reduced the size of the sports bar to a few tables, which are surrounded by pokies.

The lounge area is surrounded by pokies and has so many uncomfortable little tub chairs jammed into it that if you did try to play pool on the tables in there, you would definitely hit someone in the back of the head with your cue. You can’t pull your chair out from your table without hitting the person sitting at the next table. A personal conversation? Forget it. Even if you could hear what was being said to you, it wouldn’t be personal as the next table may as well be in your lap!

There is nowhere in the club except the restaurant that you can sit without being assaulted by the pokies. And really, who wants to sit in the restaurant if they’re not eating? Even if you do sit in the lounge (where there are a number of large screens all on different sports) you can’t hear anything anyway as the pokies are up so loud.

I hate what they have done there. Pokies do have volume controls but despite requests, they don’t turn them down. The sound of machines playing tunes apparently lures all the brain dead coin feeders to them.

God forbid that you try to keep the rest of your clientele happy. I, for one, have stopped going there.

The only good thing about pokies is that there income subsidises the cost of my beer. The only good thing about the “live music” (two singers with backing track) is that it lures some people away from the pokies for a while.

Modern Rock or Pop would no doubt alienate the older generation, but then old time dance hall stuff would presumably drive the young punks out?

Which is why you get sequenced duos boring the life out of everyone with mouldie oldie FM, Solid Gold Hits of 1972 to 1974. Nothing to exciting, think Eagles on Prozac…

*yawn…*

Sounds like a job for (cue – booming voice) “Karaoke Man”!

Welcome to the Hotel Caliiifornia…….

neanderthalsis2:28 pm 14 Jan 09

Nothing to exciting, think Eagles on Prozac…

Welcome to the hotel Catatonia…

johnboy said :

Dedicated spectating rooms for sport like the better sydney hotels.

not a room with six plasmas all on something different.

I hate that about some clubs – information overload with 19 different race meetings/footy matches/car races all on at the same time in a tiny space.

neanderthalsis1:56 pm 14 Jan 09

My preferred haunt in QLD (an RSL) had a dedicated sports bar, with one wall of TVs showing the races the main big screen dedicated to the Rugby/cricket/AFl/whatever was on; bar to the side pool table at the back. Perfect for the Rugby or a day/night against the Kiwis or poms.

In their great wisdom, they got rid of it and turned the entire club into a cavernous hall 3/4 filled with pokies and a small bistro tucked in the corner. Now it is all little old ladies and Samoans playing the pokies from 10am – 2am.

As for the live music question, it depends on your desired audience. If you’re trying to attract the flanno wearing, commodore driving types then an ACDC tribute band might be the way to go. If you want sedate public servants, some Jazz or funky folk does the trick.

Dedicated spectating rooms for sport like the better sydney hotels.

not a room with six plasmas all on something different.

I mean rows of couches all facing one big screen with a bar at the back of the room.

On a serious note (for a change!), if clubs were to attempt offering more live music, what sort styles should they aim for to cater for the kind of crowd that nomally would hang out at clubs?

Modern Rock or Pop would no doubt alienate the older generation, but then old time dance hall stuff would presumably drive the young punks out?

And petrol stations.

neanderthalsis12:46 pm 14 Jan 09

Duke said :

On topic – perhaps one day we’ll end up with Super Clubs – ALA WALL-E – where all clubs are owned by the one organisation and inhabited by mindless sheep.

Like all the pubs and liquor stores being owned by Coles or Woolworths?

Mr evil,

I was being serious, however, I think she’s a stupid bint for smoking while pregnant.

You’ve changed, man. I feel like I don’t know you anymore……. 🙂

Mr Evil said :

In any case it is her right to smoke while pregnant.

Yes, it is.

Yes, just like it’s Robert Jones’ (or anyone else for that matter!) right to drink and drive.

(I hope you weren’t being serious, Thumper and Duke.)

A woman has a right to smoke while pregnant, it’s not illegal, unlike drink driving.
But I do think smoking while pregnant is utterly dispicable and should be made illegal.

On topic – perhaps one day we’ll end up with Super Clubs – ALA WALL-E – where all clubs are owned by the one organisation and inhabited by mindless sheep.

Growling Ferret11:09 am 14 Jan 09

“I’m often in the Gungahlin Lakes Club (owned by the Ainslie FC) and it’s often quite busy, and barely anyone’s there for the pokies.”

I would say the opposite. I’m regularly in there, and in the main hall there is nobody, but the pokies are shoulder to shoulder.

Different times of day perhaps

In any case it is her right to smoke while pregnant.

Yes, it is.

Yes, just like it’s Robert Jones’ (or anyone else for that matter!) right to drink and drive.

(I hope you weren’t being serious, Thumper and Duke.)

Sadly, we’ll soon only have six major club groups in the ACT:-

Southern Cross Club
Raiders
Labor Party group
Tuggers
Hellenic
Ainslie footy

> I’m often in the Gungahlin Lakes Club (owned by the Ainslie FC) and it’s often quite busy, and barely anyone’s there for the pokies.

We had Christmas lunch there (half the family away, was simpler & easier to go out…first time we’ve done that & I have to say it was really nice). It was packed, very busy indeed…..& not a single pokie switched on in the club.

I’m often in the Gungahlin Lakes Club (owned by the Ainslie FC) and it’s often quite busy, and barely anyone’s there for the pokies.
Clubs don’t die just because you can’t smoke in them.

Stupid woman. Smoking when pregnant is just about as selfish as you can get.

Slightly off topic – I was at Hellenic the other week enjoying a few ales in the beer garden when a heavily pregnant woman came out and lit up a smoke right in front of me.

I was so very tempted to rip into her about smoking while pregnant, but I kept my cowardly mouth shut. I even considered informing the duty manager at the club who might have considered kicking her out. In any case it is her right to smoke while pregnant.

+2 for spider wrestling.

PS: Going for flame of the week.

Really should have thrown in a lot more capitals and dubious use of punctuation.

I know both Wests (Jamo) and Tradies (Dickson) used to have squash courts years back. And I would go have a beer and put a dollar on the spider wrestling.

neanderthalsis9:35 am 14 Jan 09

Okay, then what should they offer? I see lots of people saying suck it up, but no-one has actually suggested what clubs should offer?

More bingo? More meat raffles? What?

Good meals at a reasonable price, live music, comfortable seating, less pokies going bingley-bingley-doop-beep and stifling all conversation, pool tables and dart boards. It’s what pubs and clubs used to have before the pokies menace.

Pontius Pilate9:32 am 14 Jan 09

I would be very happy to see all of these “Clubs” die off quite frankly. I think it’s a sad side of Australian culture where people have nothing better to do with their free time then to hang out in Pokie Dens, eat cheap schnitzels and slowly drink beer all day/night.

I have been dragged into them several times by mates who “just wanna put a quick $20 through the machines” and can never wait to get out of there. The majority of people on the pokies seem to be there by themselves and don’t look like they are having much fun yet they still return.

How did the clubs survive before pokies one wonders? They used to have live bands, several pool tables, geez even pinball machines were better then the one armed bandits. All the fun stuff left clubs a long time ago.

Ok, anti-club rant now over.

colourful sydney racing identity9:01 am 14 Jan 09

I, for one, am glad to see clubs taking in less gambling revenue. I would be happy to see the end of poker machines.

Helicopter rides and spider wrestling!

These clubs should suck it up and start offering a service that people want, rather than just a smoky den to indulge their gambling habits.

It’s the global economic crisis bitches!

Businesses are really going to have to up the stakes to get average folk to part with their hard-earned now.

Growling Ferret said :

Its a sad sign of the times, and an impact that the banning of smoking indoors was never probably imagined.

No.

I know it can be difficult to understand that playing the pokies will never ever make you more money than what you put in. It’s like the ‘landmark’ penny machines for tourists- put in a penny + $2 for a squashed penny that you can’t use anymore.

Smoking. If you choose to proactively encourage the onset of throat/lung cancer and heart disease, at least have the decency to continuously re-inhale you’re own second hand smoke – so that those of us who aren’t stupid and are aware of the health risks don’t have to also suffer for your poor life choices – so that you may drop dead faster. Banning smoking from inside benefits the majority of society. Alternatively, stay outside.

Pokies. All this b/s about how much money clubs spend on charity and sporting clubs is a lovely facade in which behind it stands $$$ of profits from the unfair world of Poker Machine Gambling. This world destroys families and adversely affects society as a whole both financially and intrinsically.

Clubs should use their brains and come up with other ways to keep members than just cheap/crap meals and meat raffles. Then again, their clientele may not be suited to more intellectually challenging ideas.

PS: Going for flame of the week.

WBLC has only itself to blame for its poor patronage ! I used to be a regular there and then they just screw over the members big time by canning almost everything they offered.
It has nothing to do with the smoking laws.

I mean look at Magpies, they used to be a quiet struggling club.. Did a bit of renovating, improved their bistro and now some nights you struggle to find somewhere to sit.

2 clubs located pretty close together, and Magpie’s has the bigger drawing crowd. WBLC can shove it up their arse for all I care.. I hope they close their doors, I’m sure another club will pick up the footy teams.

canberra towie6:27 pm 13 Jan 09

Growling Ferret said :

Outdoor pokies are banned in the ACT, but referred to in NSW and ‘smoky pokies’

It’s a shame there banned in the ACT . The leagues club in Queanbeyan has smoky pokies and there quiet good !
It’s funny how times change really once a pon a time the non smoking pokies were hidden away in a little room out of site, Now the smoky pokies are tucked away out side

Wide Boy: Pretty sure the old-style Raiders leagues club just upped sticks and moved to Gungahlin, where it’s still ensconced.

justbands said :

The Raiders takeover of the Royals Club was the best thing that could have happened to it (hard for me to say too…as a long time Royals player). Royals was a dive, it hadn’t changed (much) in decades….the Raiders came in, cleaned it up, refurbished, put in quality food & hey presto…now it’s quite a nice club that the family & I dine in regularly.

I must say I was somewhat sceptical about the chances of the Weston Club staying open under the Raiders ‘Regime’, but that place has really taken off in a big way since they pumped a bit of money into the place.

The Raiders takeover of the Royals Club was the best thing that could have happened to it (hard for me to say too…as a long time Royals player). Royals was a dive, it hadn’t changed (much) in decades….the Raiders came in, cleaned it up, refurbished, put in quality food & hey presto…now it’s quite a nice club that the family & I dine in regularly.

We’ve banned smoking inside, we’ve increased liquor taxes on premix, we’ve let Liquor Licencing act as a defacto EPA… Enough of your concerns hospitality industry, of course people will continue keep frequenting your clubs and pubs. It’s not like smoking, drinking and gambling go hand in hand or anything… besides, why should people be allowed to exercise all their vices at once?

Oh, and just ignore that BO and faeces smell, it’s much better than cigarette smoke!

*sigh*

Wide Boy Jake4:17 pm 13 Jan 09

Let’s hope Raiders takes it over and starts up a club like the old one in Mawson which offered lunches for $5.50. The replacement of the working class Raiders Club with the expensive, upmarket Mawson Club was a tragedy for traditional Raiders members who had nowhere to go for cheap meals but Woden Tradies. Let’s hope the Raiders have learned their lesson from The Mawson Club and brings back a club for the traditional leagues club crowd.

Growling Ferret4:15 pm 13 Jan 09

Outdoor pokies are banned in the ACT, but referred to in NSW and ‘smoky pokies’

Growling Ferret4:13 pm 13 Jan 09

Not the only club facing tough times – the RSL, Wests Rugby went belly up, Royals Rugby belly up, every bowling club in Canberra belly up – and all bailed out by the big ones (Labor, Southern Cross, Raiders, Hellenic)

Small clubs could be a dying breed – which could mean the end for many small and local sporting clubs at amateur level having their sport subsidised by smokers and problem gamblers.

Its a sad sign of the times, and an impact that the banning of smoking indoors was never probably imagined.

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