Australian Football Club Hawthorn FC, soon to be the new home of Dual Dublin GAA star Ciaran Kilkenny, have posted an annual profit of AU$2 million (€1.65 million).
This figure is 15% up on the previous year but of greatest interest contains a contribution of AU$1.2 million (€800,000) from a new entertainment and sports betting complex developed by the club in the Melbourne suburbs.
The club has a membership of nearly 65,000 and drew an average attendance at home fixtures last year of 44,612.  Membership and sponsorship figures were up by 7% and 6% respectively but it was the performance of the West Waters Entertainment Complex that will draw most interest.
The development only became operational in 2011 and it is recognised in the Hawthorn accounts as still being very much in the establishment phase.
Nevertheless the contribution to the accounts is substantial and looks set to grow significantly.
The centre comprises a 58 room hotel, gym, pool and meeting rooms but the principal draw is the Sports Bar and TAB betting facility.  This boasts 50 flat screen televisions showing sport from across Australia and around the world, one of them measuring in at over 100 inches.
Betting is a major leisure activity in Australia, much as it is in Ireland but the idea of developing and owning a sports betting facility has not so far been explored by irish sporting bodies outside of those involved in horse and greyhound racing.
New legislation on the licensing of betting and casino games may open up the prospect of a new revenue stream for a sport or club willing to follow the Hawthorn route but there remains a greater ambivalence here towards such a close association.
Concern has been raised recently about individual player exposure to gambling and this featured as one of the themes from the November Sport for Business members’ Round Table on the subject of betting and sport.
While Boylesports and Paddy power have partnership agreements with the FAI and IRFU respectively the GAA has never openly courted the betting industry and has no commercial relationship in that sector.
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