Publican turfs out pokies to create family friendly pub
Pubs rejecting pokies seems to be trending following the removal of machines from Mapleton Public House in the Sunshine Coast hinterland.
Owner Jessica Huddart purchased the 114-year-old pub in June 2022 and has now turfed out the gaming machines as they don’t meet with her values.
Proceeds from the sale of the machines will go towards renovations.
"The pokies were situated around the bar so they were right in the middle of the building amongst the dining experience," Huddart told the ABC.
"There were certain tables on the verandah, for example, where if people were playing the machines you could hear the music whilst you were eating."
Due to the position of the pokies in the pub and gaming regulations around that, Hubbart had been prevented from establishing a kid’s corner which would have met her vision for a family friendly venue.
"It was deterring from our ability to make this a more family friendly venue," she said.
"Pokies can be quite antisocial so from a value standpoint, we decided that they weren't in line with where we wanted to take things.
"We want to encourage more socialisation and more connectivity between our guests."
Huddart sold the gaming licenses for about $380,000 each, however vintage machines will end up on the scrapheap.
"They're not really in high demand for venues that are really trying to make a lot of money from their gaming operations, so we'll probably just take them down to the scrap yard and get them destroyed," she said.
Customer response has been positive.
"I had direct conversations with the handful of locals that would come in regularly to play them before it happened, so that they had a heads up on what was happening," Huddart said.
"One joked about how I would be saving them money.
"I definitely put those conversations off ... because I didn't want to disappoint them, but they all took it really well."
Huddart has no regrets in making the decision.
"It feels like a big milestone, I think, because the pokies have been here for so many years," she said.
"I think that what we're doing is the right thing for the community and for our vision here.
"It really enables us to reinvest back into the pub and invest into a new kitchen.
"We'll put in some old Chesterfields [couches] and a coffee table and make it more of a lounge space to sit and have a drink or a quick bite," she said.
"I think that will definitely change the vibe of the bar area."
Irit Jackson, 27th March 2023
