$145M profit for clubs and pubs from gambling losses

Punters splurging on the pokies in the first half of this year has resulted in a combined net profit of $145M for clubs and hotels across the Central Coast.

Liquor & Gaming NSW has released its latest gaming machine data which shows just how much money communities have lost on gaming machines.

The gaming machine data is updated every six months and shows the combined net profits of each local government area and the net profit rankings in NSW of all gaming venues.

Liquor & Gaming NSW says it provides transparent and detailed data on gaming machines so the community can be kept better informed about gaming activity in NSW.

It’s the best indicator of how much money communities lose on gaming machines, according to Liquor & Gaming.

The latest Central Coast data was collected from 36 clubs with a total 3631 electronic gaming machines between December 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021.

It showed clubs had a net profit of $111.6M after paying tax of $21.5M.

Data collected from 28 hotels from January 1 to June 30, 2021, shows a combined net profit of $33.2M with a tax bill of $10.6M.

The six-monthly report for the first half of this year shows a total net profit for the clubs and hotels of $144.8M.

Net profit figures for the same period last year were significantly impacted by restrictions placed on gaming venues due to COVID-19, including the closure of gaming venues for 10 weeks from March 23 to May 31 in 2020.

For the first six months of 2020, clubs on the Coast recorded a combined net profit of $65.9M while the figure for hotels was over $18M.

The gaming reports include net profit rankings of all NSW venues with poker machines, with Mingara Recreation Club at Tumbi Umbi (308 machines) recording the highest net profit on the Central Coast and number 35 in NSW.

Of the 1269 hotels in NSW with gaming machines, Northlakes Tavern at San Remo ranked highest on the Central Coast for net profit at number 147 and 24 machines.

Other local club ratings for net profit out of 1036 NSW clubs are: 47th Kanwal Wyong Rugby Leagues (with 250 machines); 58th Doyalson Wyee RSL Club (220); 97th The Entrance Diggers (197); 120th The Entrance Leagues Club (146); 131st Toukley RSL Club (143); 203rd Bateau Bay Bowling Club (101); 219th Halekulani Bowling Club (76); 273rd Budgewoi Soccer Club (52); 295th Lake Munmorah United Bowling Club (65); 318th Club Wyong (87); 322nd Canton Beach Sports Club (45 machines); 327th Ourimbah Lisarow RSL Club (77); 330th Wyong Golf Club (47); 361st Gwandalan Bowling Club (37); 445th Toukley Golf Club (34); 450th Wyong Bowling Club (31); 461st Norah Head Bowling and Sports Club (34); 544th Shelly Beach Golf Club (28); and 546th Summerland Point Sporties (18).

Local hotels ranked from 1269 NSW venues are: 147th Northlakes Tavern at San Remo (24 machines); 180th Lakes Hotel The Entrance (24); 218th Chittaway Tavern at Chittaway Bay (29); 319th Bateau Bay Hotel Motel (24); 399th The Dam Hotel Hamlyn Terrace (22); 412th Grand Hotel Wyong (20); 475th Long Jetty Hotel (15); 551st Royal Hotel Wyong (15); 558th Coast Hotel Budgewoi (15); 641st The Entrance Hotel (26); 652nd Tall Timbers Hotel Ourimbah (18); and 720th Beachcomber Hotel and Resort Toukley (21 machines).

Across NSW, compared to the previous six months in the last half of 2020, total gaming machine net profit decreased by 7.54 per cent, down to $3.46B.

Hotels had a net profit decrease of 12.7 per cent, down to $1.37B and clubs also decreased net profit down to $2.09B, a 3.76 per cent loss.

Sue Murray