POKER machines have long been considered the panacea for pubs and clubs stricken by dwindling patronage.
Competition for Bendigos diners and drinkers has rarely been fiercer among publicans and restauranteurs.
In recent years a dramatic cultural shift among revellers towards a more cosmopolitan social experience has changed the landscape.
Operators have had to evolve or perish.
Some have chosen to go upmarket, filling their menus with organic food and stocking their bars with craft beers.
Others have made the decision to gamble on the addictive nature of poker machines to draw customers through their doors.
For venues and governments alike, pokies have been regarded as a licence to print money.
It is not hard to see why when you consider the m…
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