Hotel operator award goes to pub with zero poker machines
Tathra Hotel on the Far South Coast won NSW's top operator award. It has no poker machines on site.
The oceanfront heritage venue showed the industry wrong. Regional pubs do not need gaming machines to survive.
Owners Cliff Wallis and Sayaka Mihara put money into a micro-brewery, live music, rooms and food instead. The owners earned a highly commended award for their Sunday roast.
Wallis said: 'People in the industry say you can't survive without poker machines. That's just not true.'
The hotel also won best new or redeveloped hotel at the awards. Coledale RSL, another local venue, also did well after cutting its pokies in half.
This shows regional venues can build success on hospitality and community culture. They don't need gambling money.
- Cliff Wallis and Sayaka Mihara
- Owners
- 1888 listed structure on Far South Coast
- Heritage building
Why it mattersChallenges the belief that regional pubs need gaming machines to stay in business.
AustraliaShows regional Australian venues have a viable alternative business model to reliance on pokies, potentially inspiring other hotels and clubs to reduce their dependence on gambling revenue.
