There are different rules regarding profits from public gaming machines and club machines. Public gaming machines are required by law to invest a percentage of the income back into the community. The clubs don’t have to, but many do. Councillor Bryan Ferguson opened the debate at the October 2020 district council meeting, saying the council’s sinking lid policy on gaming machines was driving money out of the town. “So the whole community loses anyway,” Ferguson said. “The money that the majority of the people spend on gambling in our district is their own money, full stop. “And we can’t control or even try to control what the total financial loss of our community is through gaming. That’s a bit of a fallacy that really bugs me, saying it reflects the social demand for pokie and gaming machines in our district.