AFL clubs claim rent for pokies venues, new signage as "community benefits" AFL clubs get a tax break on their pokies revenue if they spend at least 8.3 per cent on "community benefits." THE cost of running a pokies venue continues to be claimed as a community benefit by AFL clubs. Pokie clubs operated by AFL teams must use a minimum of 8.3 per cent of their revenue to benefit the community to receive a tax break. Monash University gambling expert Dr Charles Livingstone said the definition of "community benefit" was too broad and some clubs claimed football-related expenses. "How community purposes are defined is so loose that you could drive several thousand trucks through it," Livingstone said. It includes things like operating costs, wage bill, electricity, insurance. It's very, very easy for clubs (poker machine venues) to claim that 8.33 per cent without actually giving anything to a genuine community group. In the case of AFL clubs ... it often includes the cost of running the social club and rebuilding bits and pieces. The biggest "community benefit" across all clubs was the operating cost of venues, for example $870,000 for rent, wages and running costs at Collingwood's The Coach and Horses in Ringwood. All four of Carlton's pokie venues claimed the cost of maintaining Visy Park, the Blues' home base, as a community benefit. Of the nine Victorian clubs with pokies, the Western Bulldogs were the only club to spend any of its community benefit money on the prevention and treatment of problem gambling. Collingwood nominated a gift that relates to "sausages given to Auskick for their fundraising activities" but also sponsored the Caroline Springs Football Club. Essendon claimed $308,00 for maintenance of Windy Hill oval "for use by the community." The Bombers also claimed pay TV and discounted meals for members and visitors to its community club. Geelong claimed costs relating to "football training," the installation of LED signage, construction of a corporate function room and interest and principal repayments on a refurbishment loan. The Cats donated $20,000 to the Headspace youth mental health program. Not-for-profit clubs pay 8.33 per cent less tax on pokies profits compared with pubs. Dr Livingstone said clubs could take steps to help the community and minimise potential damage to punters. "I think the best thing the AFL clubs could do would be, not necessarily to get out of pokies but to implement some reasonable harm minimisation measures such as $1 bets," he said. The impact on their revenue of using $1 bets would be modest - but it would be a magnificent demonstration of how easy it is to implement social reform and demonstrate that they were actually interested in the wellbeing of people.