Karridale Tavern confirms gaming machines are not ‘pokies’

A Facebook post on Thursday promoting the new machines quickly gained negative comments from locals who did not agree with the installation of what appeared to be electronic gaming devices. 

Iko Pindo, general manager of the Tavern, said the machines were “absolutely not” poker machines, and were installed with fundraising for charities in mind.

“For us, it is not about earning income – we have a bit of a soft spot for the Leukemia Foundation due to some family history and we wanted a way for people to be able to donate in the tavern, much like when you have the buckets on the counter for coin donations,” he explained. 

“Ten per cent of every dollar goes directly to charity, and that is why we had the machines brought in for the most part, as a way of collecting some donations for worthy causes.”

Minister for Racing and Gaming Paul Papalia confirmed that the machines were not in fact ‘poker’ type gaming machines.

“Karridale Tavern received gaming permits from the Gaming and Wagering Commission to operate two Video Lottery Terminals (VLTs),” the Minister said via email. 

“The VLTs are provided to the premises by a supplier licensed by the Gaming and Wagering Commission – in this particular case both VLTs are supplied by Cabaret Gaming.

“A gaming permit to operate VLTs is permitted to be issued by the Gaming and Wagering Commission under section 88 of the Gaming and Wagering Commission Act 1988. Regulation 18AA of the Gaming and Wagering Commission Regulations 1989 define VLTs as “…device which displays electronically on a video screen a depiction of a card displaying symbols, by reference to which prizes in the game played may be won.

“Essentially, they are an electronic version of the manual break open b-i-n-g-o tickets.”

The Minister said conditions imposed under a VLT permit required that the number of machines be equally divided between charities and community/sporting organisations or clubs. 

In the case of the Karridale Tavern, the permits were issued with the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research and the Children’s Leukaemia & Cancer Research Foundation as beneficiaries.

The backlash to the Facebook post centred largely around the machines appearing similar to poker machines, which are illegal in Western Australia.

“Can’t stand gambling machines, have enough things people are addicted to down here, we don’t need more,” said one user. 

“I don’t think this is a good idea, there are too many gambling addicts in the world as there is, many thankfully not able to feed their addition due to a lack of pokie opportunities,” wrote another.

Mr Pindo said TAB users currently bet money at the tavern without any local benefit and hoped people would see the machines – which operate much like printed Bingo game or lottery cards – as an alternative rather than an encouragement to gamble. 

He said he wanted to encourage local charities and community groups to discuss being supported by the machines.

“I am open to anyone and willing to talk to any local groups or worthy causes that need our help, that is what we are about and we hope that message gets across to people.”

Alan Davey of Cabaret Gaming who supplies the machines said they had been available in Western Australia since the mid 1990s, and that they were not considered “big money spinners” and that they did not operate like poker machines.

“These machines have a static picture on the front, which is backlit, and they don’t have any rolling images or animations,” he explained. “There is no cash payout – people can put in their coin, and receive a ticket with numbers like a lotto ticket.”