A disciplinary hearing is to be faced by the Dee Why RSL Club after an investigation has been held into accusations of irresponsible gambling practices which have allegedly led to the death of one of the club’s customers in 2018.
Gambler Gary Van Duinen committed suicide after he had a 13-hour gambling session at the club, which his family members had previously asked to do something to prevent him from gambling there any more. The gambling regulatory body in the state, the Liquor and Gambling NSW has commissioned an investigation against the club, which resulted into addressing the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority (ILGA) by filing a formal disciplinary complaint against the club.
According to Joy Van Duinen, who is Gary’s mother, her son was a gambling addict who used to spend up to 13 hours at the poker machines available at the club by the end of his life. She insists that gambling on pokies had a devastating impact on both his marriage and business, which is why she had asked the Dee Why RSL Club for help to keep her son away from the machines. Unfortunately, the club seemed to do not care about their customers’ life and health, as all they seemed to care about is the profits brought by the machines.
According to late Gary’s mother, the fact that clubs had become much like casinos is even worse.
Anti-Pokie Campaigners Insist for Stricter Measures on Poker Machines in NSW Clubs
Since her son has put an end to his life, Mrs Van Duinen has become a proactive anti-pokie campaigner in New South Wales. One year later, she is still calling for the authorities and clubs themselves to put some restrictions on the notorious poker machines, and for a reduction in minimum pokie bets in NSW to be brought.
The request of Mr Van Duinen’s mother has been supported by The Alliance for Gambling Reform’s spokesman Tim Costello, who shared that in his opinion, the Dee Why RSL Club should be hit by significant punitive measures. According to him, the establishment’s policy towards the late problem gambler was so outstandingly bad that the club’s license to operate poker machines should be suspended for no less than half a year. Mr Costello also added that an AU$500,000 fine should also be imposed on the Dee Why RSL Club.
Currently, the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority has the power to change, cancel or suspend the club’s operating license, as well as to impose formal reprimands and levy monetary fines of up to AU$550,000 when some irresponsible practices are found to have encouraged gambling.
Currently, the Dee Why RSL is the eleventh largest poker machine club in the state, as it offers 494 pokies. The club generated a profit of AU$11.5 million on total revenue of AU$67.4 million last year and is now planning a massive expansion estimated at AU$100 million.
- Author
Daniel Williams
