Inside AGE 2022

48 | I NSIDE AGE | #1 AUG 2022 | asgam.com whether that be to provide a place to meet and deal with the life experiences of veterans who have returned from war, or to support sport such as rugby league or bowls or golf. Clubs exist for some socially beneficial purpose which is so much greater than being for the benefit of shareholders. The returns from gambling are reinvested back into local c ommu n i t i e s – t h e s ame commun i t i e s wh i ch spend that money in the first place. It allows gambling to become a circular industry and because the community sees the benefit of that money, our strong view is that clubs are a part of those communities and they are far more accepting of gambling than they may already be. There are so many people whose lives are made better because of clubs. BB: We have recently emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic which saw venues across the state and country closed. How has recovery looked for the industry in recent months? J L : The recovery has been going pretty well. We would always want it to be better but recognising how hard the last two years have been, things are incredibly good right now by comparison. Now, we haven’t had enough outperformance to fill the hole experienced in those last couple of years but trade has been positive. The big challenge now is getting enough staff to meet demand. BB: As you say, staffing has proved to be a challenge for many industries post-COVID. How have clubs fared in this regard and how can the staffing issue be addressed moving forward? JL: I’ve witnessed first-hand club CEOs picking plates up off the tables because they just don’t have enough staff. Lots of clubs