26 October 2024, 7:34 PM
Windsor RSL Club has reported record profits for the 2024 financial year, largely driven by local residents’ losses on its 178 poker machines. Despite this financial success, the club continues to contribute only a small fraction of its tax-free earnings back to the community - particularly to the ex-servicemen and women it was originally established to support.
The club’s total revenue for the year exceeded $22 million, with $13.6 million generated from poker machine operations. However, donations to community and veteran organisations remained disproportionately low. In 2024, Windsor RSL allocated just 1.2 percent of its total revenue, approximately $266,707, to local groups - nearly 20 percent less than the previous year, despite a significant rise in profits. In 2023, the club donated $331,900.
RSL Clubs have come under increasing fire over the past few years with critics arguing that funds lost by patrons at poker machines continue to serve the club's commercial interests rather than the community. In September the national head of the RSL of Australia supported a push to stop licenced clubs from using the RSL letters in their names amid a fight over whether poker machines should be allowed in the venues at all.
For the first time, Windsor RSL’s annual report featured a prominent infographic on the front page, presenting a polished image of the club's contributions to the community. The page was filled with gimmicky statistics, including the number of “schnittys” sold, burgers, beers, and cups of coffee served, alongside raffle tickets and bingo games. What was glaringly absent was any mention of the club’s 178 poker machines - the real financial engine driving its revenues. This omission creates a misleading impression that the club’s focus is on hospitality, and community service rather than its real financial driver - gaming losses.
These losses by patrons helped drive the club’s fortunes with a 38% increase in Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation, and Amortisation (EBITDA), which rose to $4.2 million. Net profit climbed from $1 million last year to $1.5 million in 2024. Yet, Windsor RSL President David Ingram provided no substantial commentary on any part of the club's operations nor the club’s obligations to veterans or the community in the annual report. Instead, Ingram briefly stated that the club aims to "operate in a responsible and financially prudent manner," adding that Windsor RSL "plays an important role in honouring present and returned servicemen and servicewomen."
RSL Clubs were originally established to champion the welfare of Australian Defence Force members, both serving and retired. However, the financial reality paints a different picture. Most funds raised from poker machine losses appear to fuel the club’s commercial expansion, rather than support the veterans and their families as the organisation’s constitution mandates.
Windsor RSL’s retained profits now exceed $14 million - an extraordinary amount for a not-for-profit organisation, which pays no tax. This financial cushion enabled the club to acquire the nearby Windsor Country Golf Club and add 12 more poker machines to its roster. The club’s continued investment in gaming operations has sparked growing concerns about problem gambling in the Hawkesbury region. With over 800 electronic gaming machines in the area, advocates say these venues contribute to financial distress, mental health issues, and family violence.
Meanwhile, the community in Kurrajong Heights is once again rallying against a proposed development for a casino and pub in the historic precinct. Despite widespread opposition to the initial proposal, the developer has submitted a revised application, seeking to open a gaming venue operating seven days a week, with VIP access for gamblers and a capacity of over 300 patrons.