Opinion: The Only Way To Fix Oxford Streets Dying Nightclub Scene Is To Put POKIES In Every Venue

JAMIE HOTTAKE | Opinion | CONTACT

As foot traffic along Oxford Street continues to stall and bars struggle to turn a profit, a surprisingly simple solution to keeping venues afloat is being overlooked by many publicans - the life raft that is the pokies machine!

Once accused of killing off Sydney’s live music scene, the humble pokies machine has undergone something of a redemption arc.

It's no longer seen as the culprit behind a dying pub culture, but the only hero who can save it.

 After all, just one machine can generate thousands in revenue, without the need for an extra staff member, a cocktail menu overhaul, or even a functioning social media presence.

If every bar and nightclub along Oxford Street were to install even a single pokies machine - or even a gaming room, if it’s a multi level venue - pub owners could finally stop relying on overpriced cocktails and share plates to stay afloat.

Instead, they could afford to offer cheaper drinks, simpler food, and beer for less than $15 a schooner.

It works well for RSL clubs, so why not operate every bar using the same model?

Though some may balk at the sight of multiple pokie machines in what should be a jubilant environment, venues could still tuck their machines away, like those strange little corner one seats they have on the Sydney trains. 

When it comes to saving Oxford street bars from becoming another Merivale venue, is the livelihood of few destitute older gentleman with $50 left in their pensioner accounts really too much to sacrifice?

I certainly don't think so.

More to come.