Melbourne: Iconic pokie-free Hampton bowls club collapses

A pokie-free Aussie bowls club has gone into voluntary administration after 75 years, as members try to raise $150,000 to save it.

The iconic Hampton Bowls and Community Club in southeast Melbourne has gone into voluntary administration, as members try to raise $150,000 to save it — and they plan to do so without pokies.

Hampton Bowls, which is the largest bowls club in Bayside, made the call to abandon pokie machines and pursue a “sustainable model without reliance on income from gambling”.

The club opened in 1948 and “proudly boasts a diverse membership and equal representation of women”, according to a statement on its website.

Hampton Bowls and Community club has gone into voluntary administration. Picture: Facebook.

On Monday, Hampton Bowls announced it had gone into voluntary administration due to “unforeseen circumstances”.

The club is required to raise $150,000 by August 23 or its doors will close forever.

“With a new Board in place and support from Bayside City Council, a new club has been launched and, within a week, club members have already contributed over $50,000 in the effort to save this iconic Hampton club,” the club explained in the same statement.

In order to continue operating without pokies, the club needs to raise another $100,000.

“We believe that our club members can raise another $50,000, and are reaching out to our community for the final $50,000,” the club said.

A GoFundMe fundraiser has so far raised $3750 of the target $50,000 from 24 donations.

“The money raised will enable the club to cover operating costs, and contribute towards upgrading the venue and facilities for more extensive community use,” the club said.

“Please note that all money donated will be returned if we do not reach our target and we have to close our doors.”

A statement on the club’s website describes it as an “integral part of the Hampton community for over 75 years”.

Hampton Bowls needs to raise $150,000 by August 23 to keep operating. Picture: Facebook.

And it’s not only a bowls club. The club is home to other community initiatives including live music every Sunday, language and leadership classes via Toastmasters and nights dedicated to the Chinese tile game Mahjong.

It is also the site of events including birthdays and corporate functions, helping to unite the southeast Melbourne community.

The club gave up its revenue from gambling, which keeps many Aussie bowls and community clubs afloat.

Around two in five adult Australians gamble weekly or more often according to the Australian Institute of Family Studies and almost half (46%) are classified as at risk of gambling harm.

In fact, Aussies lose more money per capita to gambling than any other population in the world, most of which is lost to pokies.

Originally published as Melbourne: Iconic pokie-free Hampton bowls club collapses