Todd Tavern and Gap View Hotel pokies expansion challenged by Alice Springs campaigners

A NT Human Rights award-winning grassroot organisation has accused a Sydney-based pub chain of submitting a ‘flawed and inadequate’ application to double the number of pokies in their Alice Springs venues.

No New Pokies in Mparntwe campaigner and Jonathan Pilbrow and People’s Alcohol Action Coalition Policy Coordinator Vicki-Maree Gillick have launched a challenge against a decision by the Director of Gambling to allow Todd Tavern and Gap View Hotel to double the number of pokies at their venue.

Pub owners have pleaded to stop an administrative gambling licence review from becoming a clash over pokie politics in Central Australia.

No New Pokies in Mparntwe campaigner Jonathan Pilbrow and People’s Alcohol Action Coalition Policy Coordinator Vicki-Maree Gillick have launched a challenge against a decision by the Director of Gambling to allow Todd Tavern and Gap View Hotel to double the number of pokies at their venue.

In June the two venues, owned by the Sydney-based Iris Capital, were approved to install 10 new pokie machines in each of the pubs.

However that application has been challenged in the NT Civil and Administrative Tribunal, with the hospitality giant accused of not adequately assessing the harms posed to the community.

No New Pokies in Mparntwe campaigner Jonathan Pilbrow. Photo: EMMA MURRAY

In documents obtained by the NT News, Mr Pilbrow and Ms Gillick allege that the Community Impact Analysis undertaken by Iris Capital was “inadequate in that it did not comply either with the Act of the Director’s Guidelines”.

The tribunal documents alleged the Gambling Director failed to regard the “deleterious social and economic effects on the local community”, or the two venues’ history of noncompliance with their liquor licence.

That same month NT Police used emergency powers to shut down the Todd Tavern for 48 hours for after allegations of multiple domestic violence assaults on or near the pub Picture: Kevin Farmer

In early 2023 The Gap View Hotel’s Sip n Save bottle shop was forced to close for 24 hours, after the Liquor Commission found it failed to use the Banned Drinkers Register scanner on 189 occasions in a single day.

That same month NT Police used emergency powers to shut down The Gap View Hotel as well as the Todd Tavern for 48 hours for after allegations of multiple domestic violence assaults on or near the pubs.

In their applications Mr Pilbrow and Ms Gillick alleged that the Director “failed to consider the appropriateness of problem gambling risk management and responsible gambling strategies” by Iris Capital.
The hospitality giant has called for the applications to be dismissed, to allow them to go ahead with the pokies expansion.

On Thursday, Mr Pilbrow’s barrister Adam McBeth asked the Tribunal to allow additional evidence from their own experts and witnesses, including financial councillors, health organisations, Indigenous welfare services, university researchers, Anglicare, the Mental Health Association of Central Australia, and Congress leaders.

Gap View Hotel supervisor Michael Perris posts a closed notice after Northern Territory Police served a notice of suspension on the Alice Springs establishment, Friday, February 3, 2023. Picture: Kevin Farmer

But Iris Capital’s barrister Hamish Baddeley questioned the relevance of the long list of witnesses, saying it could turn a “one or two” day hearing into a “two week hearing”.

Mr Baddeley said the debate over pokies in Alice Springs was a contentious political issue, with the NT Government imposing a nine-month moratorium on all new gambling machine licences in 2022.

However the Iris Capital barrister said the “narrow” scope of a licence review was not the forum to play out the pokies debate.

“These proceedings shouldn’t evolve into an argument about the merits of gambling, the merits of gaming machines, the impacts of gambling on Indigenous populations or people in Alice Springs,” Mr Baddeley said.

“We deal with the statutory context, which is a matter for parliament.”

Mr Baddeley said the debate over pokies in Alice Springs was a contentious political issue, with the NT Government imposing a nine-month moratorium on all new gambling machine licences in 2022. Picture: Chris Pavlich.

However Mr McBeth argued that the core of the anti-pokies case was that Iris Capital’s community impact assessment was “flawed and inadequate” and failed to consult with stakeholders.

He argued the hearing needed the expert evidence to convey the extent of the social harms that would be unleashed if the machines were approved.

He said the hearing would boil down to a single factor: “suitability”.

Mr McBeth argued the pokies expansion was not suitable given the pubs’ proximity to schools, parks, malls, social services and welfare organisations, as well as the broader demographics of the Alice Springs given its high levels of poverty, vulnerable people and large Indigenous communities.

No New Pokies in Mparntwe campaigner Jonathan Pilbrow accepted the Fitzgerald Social Change Award at the 2023 NT Human Rights Awards.

According to latest the Licencing NT Annual report, there were 1659 gambling machines spread across 73 licenced venues — an increase of 84 machines in 12 months.

Each of these machines made an average of $265 a day, with gaming profits up by 12 per cent to $149.3 million in 2022-23.

However Mr Baddeley said it was anticipated the Alice Springs pokies would have a smaller daily profit than the average NT pokies, with Todd Tavern expected to make $24,000 per game machine a year while Gap View generate $62,000.

This would mean the Sydney hospitality giant would walk away with an additional $860,000 a year across the 20 pokie machines.

NTCAT members George Roussos, Ingrid Meier and Andrew Macrides adjourned the hearing to make a decision on whether to accept the additional expert evidence and witnesses.