Hannah Hammoud
The state government’s sweeping gambling reforms are threating the future of a popular soccer program, warns a local Sunshine sporting club.
Sunshine’s Club Italia sporting club is calling for urgent action to save its beloved soccer program as it faces significant cuts to revenue following the state government’s gambling changes.
Earlier this year, the state government announced a package of reforms to minimise gambling harm including mandatory pre-commitment limits, carded play, mandatory closing hours and slower spin times.
Club Italia receives no government funding and instead relies on revenue from its 60 gaming machines to sustain the Brimbank Stallions football club and its headquarters, utilised by 400 playing families.
Club Italia general manager Kon Monos said the future of the soccer program hangs in the balance as the club struggles to make up for the expected shortfall in revenue when the gambling reforms begin in mid-2024.
“The reforms were announced with zero consultation with clubs or the industry. It has frightened all of us, no one can anticipate the expected downturn in revenue,” he said.
Mr Monos said the Brimbank Stallions women’s program supports three teams, with a plan to expand to six by 2024. The club also subsidies membership fees for its women’s clubs.
“Over the past 30 years the club has become more than a place to play sport, it has been a place for the community and families to come together and celebrate connection. It’s incredibly painful to say that we’re now at a real loss as to whether we can keep that going into the future,” he said.
“Gaming is just one small component of the club’s offering, but the fact is that it is the mechanism that allows us to offer a low-cost model for young people – and girls especially – to join the club, develop their skills, make new friends, and build connections.
“The future of this vital program, and several other community initiatives we run, is now uncertain because of a decision that was made without consulting clubs on the devastating impact it will have or any sort of plan to fill that gap in revenue.”
Gambling losses have been a hotbed of concern in Brimbank, with the municipality recording the highest losses to electronic gaming machines of any Victorian local government area in 2022-23, totalling $172.8 million.
Mr Monos said sporting clubs deserve to have a seat at the table to discuss the impacts of the reforms and be part of the conversation in finding at solutions to tackle gambling harm.
“We absolutely acknowledge the need to tackle problem gambling, which is why we have robust mechanisms to ensure those that choose to use our gaming machines do so in a safe and controlled way. These new reforms undermine all that hard work we’ve been doing in that area and risk causing greater harm by draining the lifeblood of our community,” he said.
Community Clubs Victoria chief executive Andrew Lloyd described the state government’s reform package as a “blunt, one size fits all instrument”.
“To see an organisation like Club Italia, which is doing so much good for its members and the broader community, considering pairing back programs, cutting services and reducing staff shows that this issue needs a nuanced solution that we’re just not seeing from the Victorian government,” he said.
“There are 180 community clubs around Victoria operating electronic gaming machines – and doing so to the highest standards. These clubs are now in the same dire predicament as Club Italia and receiving no assistance and no hope for their future.
“I believe all of us have an obligation to tackle problem gambling in a way that doesn’t result in our communities losing children’s soccer teams, volunteer programs, and all the invaluable work that community clubs do.”
The state government was contacted for comment.
