'Those that survive do what we're doing': Canberra club gives up all its pokies

The Canberra Bowling Club in Forrest is now kitted out with the complete live-music setup – we’re talking a raised stage, a full PA system with speakers and microphones, and dramatic black curtains for the backdrop.

Outside, the club has plans to install a large deck so members can watch the idyllic sport of bowling and sip their drinks from shaded comfort.

The renovations are all thanks to tens of thousands of dollars the club received from the ACT Government to give up all its pokies.

Since March 2024, the government has been running a voluntary surrender program, asking venues across the territory to give up their gaming machines in return for $15,000 for each one, or – if the venue gives up all of them – $20,000 per machine.

It’s part of a $5.145 million commitment to reduce the number of pokies in the ACT to 3500 by 1 July, 2025, and to 1000 by 2045.

The program came to an end this week, with the government happy to report the first target has been met.

Up to 296 gaming machines have been surrendered from across 28 venues, bringing the total number in 2018, 4956, down to 3494.

The Vikings Group and Canberra Southern Cross Club Group led the way with 40 surrenders each, and the Canberra Raiders Sports Club Group was next with 38.

Two venues, the Canberra Bowling Club and The Statesman Hotel in Curtin, have gone completely pokie-free.

ACT Minister for Gaming Reform Dr Marisa Paterson thanked the venues for their participation, but emphasised that there was still significant work ahead.

“When this scheme started, it was a transition and I do think since then the sector’s come a really long way in the ACT and really embracing diversification,” she said.

“I think there’s huge opportunity for a sustainable, thriving club sector in the ACT that is diverse and has a range of offerings for the public and community … moving away from the harm caused from poker machines.”

Poker machines were contributing smaller and smaller amounts each year to the Canberra Bowling Club’s balance sheet, so development officer Cliff Gilbert said they wouldn’t be missed.

“It’s really given us an opportunity to re-envisage how we fit into the community and how our future’s going to look in two ways,” Mr Gilbert said.

“One is just the ambience of the club – we don’t have a north wall completely covered by poker machines, and a lot of people are saying to us, ‘Isn’t this great? It’s a great atmosphere’.

“Another way is obviously the surrender revenue that we get from it gives us a capital reserve to start investing in things. Some of them are just improvements to the club and some of them are introducing new activities, new attractions.

“Bowling clubs have been in decline for a while and so those that survive do what we’re doing now.”

Clubs ACT is pleased the result means there’ll be no need for compulsory acquisition of pokies, as flagged by the government if the target wasn’t met.

“This would have meant zero compensation for the clubs,” CEO Craig Shannon said.

“Our other concern about the scheme as it stands at the moment is the compensation that clubs are getting for their machines is not market value and has not been adjusted for some years.

“But we do think this outcome today is a tribute to our club members, in terms of their willingness to support and participate in efforts to reduce reliance on poker machine revenue.”

Mr Shannon said the long-term impact varied from club to club, but he had yet to hear of clubs solely blaming a reduction in pokies for loss in revenue in recent months, or putting up prices in other areas to compensate.

“It’s the way [the loss of the poker machines] blends into the broader issues of a downturn for the hospitality sector generally at the moment, particularly in regards to food and beverage sales.”

Last month, the ACT Government opened a tender to conduct an “independent inquiry into the future of the ACT clubs industry”.

The tender closes on 20 May, with a report due back to the government in early 2026.