The Vast Economic & Social Impact of Clubs

The full independent industry report has been given to Premier Chris Minns and Minister for Gaming and Racing David Harris. It clearly emphasises the importance of our industry to our communities — such an important document at this time.

The detail in the report highlights the areas where, as an industry run for the community by the community, we are able to support those who need assistance from a leadership and resources perspective. From supporting the most vulnerable to helping those who need an extra hand as they volunteer making a difference, clubs are making communities stronger and so much more including, as well as being a great place to belong and come together.

With a headline of over $9 billion each year of social and economic contributions, we confirm our club industry’s impact on this state — something we should all be exceedingly proud of.

On the jobs front, as an industry we support over 75,000 local jobs whether by direct employment or via supply chains into our clubs. As we know, there is more available work to be filled across our industry at the moment. Importantly, we create work opportunities for our state with appropriate work conditions and governance in the hospitality industry.

Further investigation confirms our industry as the fabric of our communities, offering over 10,000 free events each month across the state and putting in amazing volunteer hours — nearly 500,000 each year. No other industry supports communities like we do!

And as we turn our minds and our business considerations to our planet, we are most definitely leading the way, with more than 65 per cent of our clubs involved in at least one environmental initiative. This is a critical leadership position for our state.

As we work with government to lead the reforms of our gaming offerings, it is important that we remind them constantly of the impact our industry has on our communities. This independent report achieves that but we cannot stop there.

The Club Gaming Code of Practice (“the Code”) is another important document that ensures that, while we speak of positive impacts, we can also assure our members and guests that we maintain our eyes firmly on our social licence to provide gaming as a legal form of entertainment.  

The Code commenced on 1 July 2023, and I expect all management and directors will be having discussions regarding its implementation in your business.

Training is firmly on the agenda in the Code, and this is to ensure that we remain at the forefront of the good and proper provision of our services. Training is not something that is new to our industry or in fact any industry, as more and more regulations are requiring constant updating of qualifications and knowledge. I encourage you to embrace life-long learning as a tool for our development as professionals as well as for our industry. If you need to know more, please get in touch. 

See you out and about!