Publican Blows Up The Pokies

Courier Mail, Melanie Christiansen , January 03, 2008

A QUEENSLAND hotel owner has pulled the plug on his poker machines, saying he could no longer stand to watch patrons losing all their money and leaving in tears.

Despite the loss of revenue from 40 busy poker machines, Scarborough Hotel owner Roger Okalyi decided two months ago to turn the machines off and sell the licences for them.

The pokies area is now in darkness, with the machines expected to be taken away next month."In the end, I just couldn't stand it," he said. "The pokies just prey onpeople who can't afford to gamble."I've seen people walking out in tears. They've got kids and you're just hoping that they haven't done their weekly wage and will still be able to put food on the table. "At least I can sleep better at night these days."

Although he has earnt some money by selling off his poker machine licences, Mr Okalyi said his decision had already cost him some business. But he plans to replace the pokies room with a family games area, offering pool tables and Nintendo machines, and hopes to attract new customers with a greater focus on dining.

"I don't know if it's a brave move," he said. "It could be stupid. But I think you can make good money without poker machines. I'll just have to work harder."

Mr Okalyi's move coincided with a similar decision last month by the South Sydney Leagues Club to dump its 60 poker

Machines, after a campaign by Rabbitoh's co-owners Russell Crowe and Peter Holmes a Court.

Anti-pokies campaigner Tim Costello yesterday described the Scarborough Hotel's decision to go pokies-free as fantastic.

"This is one of the scourges of our time," Rev Costello said. "It fragments families, it fragments communities and if a publican is putting people's lives ahead of his own profits, that's inspiring."

Queensland Council of Social Service president Karyn Walsh said she hoped itsignalled a change in the trend towards pubs and clubs relying on poker machines.

"Clearly the evidence shows there is a lot of community harm done by people gambling on poker machines," she said.

"The consequences for too many people are that they don't have enough money to get them through the fortnight. They lose their housing. Families break up."

Redcliffe Mayor Alan Sutherland also welcomed the prospect of a pokies-free venue in the area. "It's becoming increasingly hard for people to go out to an environment where they haven't got poker machines," he said.

“This will give people a clear choice."

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