Rural rage, as TAB races away from club and pub outlets

In the past year, the TAB has closed one in seven of its outlets, in an effort to push punters online and cut costs.

In the North Island, Helensville, Patumāhoe, Mercer, Ngāruawāhia​, Urenui​, Ohakune​ and Ashhurst​ lost their only outlet, joined by Havelock, Cheviot, Amberley​, Rakaia​ and Roxburgh​ in the south.

The TABs are about much more than just betting, the outlets often double as a small town’s key social hub.

In the heartland, club members and pub-goers form syndicates, chuck in a few dollars here-and-there for computer-generated Easybets, yarn, needle each other, down a Tui or a Speight’s​, cheer as the money rolls in, shrug as it trickles out.

Now that slice of fun is being cut thinly, as TABs follow rural banks, hospitals and police stations into rural oblivion, leaving isolated communities with long treks to alternative facilities.

Ironically, one sole outlet targeted to close was in the South Wairarapa Workingmen's Club, deep in Racing Minister Kieran McAnulty’s​ electorate. Its ClubTAB​ agreement was to terminate on July 27.

Club secretary manager Dave ‘Brushie’ Linton​ this month got written notice the ClubTAB agreement would end. TAB area manager Angela Adamson’s​ letter is pinned to the club wall.

Sure there’s another TAB, 7km to the north in Carterton, or 11km to the south in Featherston. But these are not gamblers, Linton says. They’re not desperate to bet, they’re about mateship and their mates are in Greytown.

And sure, they could bet online as the TAB wished … well actually a lot of them couldn’t, they don’t have computers … again, that’s not what they’re about. Walk down, have a beer and an Easybet, walk home happy, it’s the Greytown way.

Cameron Rodger​, New Zealand managing director for Entain Australia and New Zealand, says location is a consideration in the review, pointing out there remain around 450 venues where a bet can be placed in person.

"We weigh up the ability for our customers to access our services against the costs involved in delivering these services. A number of these towns will have TAB facilities available at a pub or club in a nearby town.”

UK betting operator Entain in May signed a 25-year strategic partnership with the TAB to run its operations in a deal approved by McAnulty, who gets updates “from time to time”, Rodger says.

“Ultimately this is an operational decision and does not require notice to the minister,” Rodger says.

South Wairarapa Workingmen's Club was buzzing when the Sunday Star-Times visited on Wednesday evening.

One corner is devoted to its punters, who’ve built flutter-friendly round tables and placed them amid six TVs tuned to racing, or sport.

Linton calculated the club’s TAB has turned over $19,000 a week on average for the past 20 weeks, close to what Rodger says is required.

“A pub or club outlet that is turning over an average $20,000 a week on TAB products would not be considered for closing in the current environment for financial reasons,” Rodger says.

Linton fears the nights at the round tables are numbered.

But the social lives of small punters in pubs and clubs are not what the TAB is about. It's a business, with business imperatives such as turnover and cost-cutting at its heart.

As with the banking sector, many TAB customers now prefer to go online or use the TAB Mobile app, Rodger says.

He says 75% of TAB bets came through digital channels, generating 78% of turnover, a climb from 60% (bets) & 69% (turnover) in 2019.

“We are also offering information to customers at pubs and clubs where we are removing services, on how to download and access the TAB Mobile app.”

Back at the Workingmen's Club, Wal, Reg, Brian, JC, Trevor and Jason are miffed. At the next table Gary Simonsen is next level upset. He built the punting tables. If the TAB closes, he will be taking them home.

“I don’t want a f...... TAB account, that’s the last thing I want,” he says.

“I had one, it’s dangerous, I’m not doing that again. It’s like taking up golf, you wind up playing five days a week and working two - it’s not a good idea.”

Nor would he drive to Carterton to bet. He’s not that keen. A simple Easybet with his mates is his go, he made $1000 on Easybet over King’s Birthday weekend, and that did him nicely.

So what would he do instead?

“Take up pool? No, I’d be really pissed off, really pissed off. I come here every day of the week after work, sit down and have a couple of pints and a couple of bets, and I thoroughly enjoy it. It’s relaxing.”

Brendan Fenwick, a club member for 35 years, is a heavier better who can’t believe the TAB decision.

“The TAB want a million a year, and we’re giving them 900 and something thousand. With the new Etain deal [with the TAB], their biggest thing is to increase turnover, but with this club gone that turnover will be gone.

“We understand we are not the only pub or club losing, it will be the case across a lot of clubs and pubs, if they’re taking out 200 machines. We are making $90,000 a year profit every year to the TAB, and it costs them nothing - just a printer.”

Greytown may have a reprieve when the TAB did a late backflip, saying it had found a self-service terminal and so the club could operate with that, an option Linton told the Star-Times on Wednesday the TAB had previously ruled out.

Now, Rodger says “one has recently become available” and been offered to Greytown.

“We're pleased we've been able to find a solution in this instance."

Now punters will have to place bets themselves, rather than have staff do it for them, as is the situation in numerous pubs and clubs already. They don’t allow a bet to be made using an operator, so it’s akin to being forced to use the self-check out at the supermarket on every visit.

Brushie Linton says it’s better than nothing, no doubt thinking ahead to training up his older members on the new technology, and the delays and stresses that could result.

“It’s just something we’ll have to get used to, unfortunately.”