In the heart of footy country, where a Sunday arvo at the local RSL with a couple of mates and a cold pint feels like a national ritual, news dropped this week that rattled the foundations. The newly minted president of RSL Victoria, Mark Schröffel, admitted the organisation is open to selling its pokies venues. For some, it’s the only logical move. For others, it’s a gamble that could redefine the DNA of veteran clubs.
For decades, pokies in Australia have been the financial lifeblood of community clubs, bowls clubs and RSL branches. But public frustration has been building. Reports keep showing that only a sliver of the pokies revenue actually makes its way back to veterans’ welfare. On the street, plenty of Aussies reckon RSLs have morphed into little more than gambling venues with the digger’s badge slapped out front.
From Canberra to Melbourne, the debate is heating up. Should a charity dedicated to veterans rely so heavily on the spin of poker machines? The RSL pokies debate is not new. Back in 2024, even voices within the national RSL called out clubs using the brand name while giving peanuts to welfare programs. The question now is whether RSL Victoria is finally ready to break free from that dependence.
Potential buyers are already circling. The Melbourne Racing Club and Victoria Racing Club are tipped as likely suitors, looking to fold the machines into the racing industry’s wider gaming portfolio. That prospect makes some members uneasy. In suburban branches, many old diggers worry that without pokies, their local RSL will struggle to keep the bar lights on and the doors open for mateship.
But reputationally, the stakes are bigger than keeping schooners cheap. The RSL’s brand has been dented by its link to gambling harm. Across Victoria, grassroots groups are campaigning harder than ever against pokies, and the Andrews government has tightened regulations. The RSL stands at a fork in the road: continue cashing in on pokies revenue or make a clean break and refocus on veterans and their families.
If RSL Victoria bites the bullet and sells, it could turn from being seen as part of the gambling problem to being a leader in social responsibility. It won’t be easy – expect plenty of internal blues – but the potential to rebuild credibility is massive. For an organisation that’s been around for more than a century, trust and transparency might now be worth more than any jackpot.
And maybe, just maybe, ditching the pokies is the real Level Up the RSL needs to win back the respect of Aussies everywhere.
