A 10-year study shows Returned Services clubs took $2.1 billion in gambling revenue, but veterans’ support received only 1.5 percent.
A 10-year study found that Returned Services League (RSL) clubs in Victoria return only a small fraction of their gambling revenue to the community.
The clubs are licensed to operate pokie machines (also called poker machines, slot machines, or fruit machines) and, from 2009 to 2019, made revenues of $2.097 billion (US$1.32 billion) from gamblers.
Of the nearly 300 RSLs in Victoria, over 50 are licensed for poker machines. If they donate a minimum of 8.3 percent of gambling revenue to “community contributions,” they become eligible for a tax cut. But they can include their own expenses—including wages and venue maintenance—in that total.
The RSL was established in 1916, and its website states that it exists “for the principal purpose of promoting the interests and welfare of current and former serving members of the Australian Defence Force and their dependents.”
However, the study found that less than 1.5 percent of the money players lost went to veterans’ support.
More Spent on Operating Costs Than Donated
In total, the RSL clubs spent…
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