The Western Bulldogs Football Club today announced it has finalised terms for the sale of its gaming operations in an agreement struck with the Melbourne Racing Club (MRC).

The MRC has agreed to purchase the licences for Club Leeds in Footscray and the Peninsula Club in Dromana, inclusive of 65 gaming machines across both venues. The terms of the sale have been agreed by both parties, with settlements to occur over coming weeks and once all required regulatory approvals are obtained.

Divesting itself from gaming machine revenue has been a long-term priority for the Club, and an important strategic decision as it plans for an exciting redevelopment of the Whitten Oval precinct.

“This is a landmark moment for the Western Bulldogs – the day we officially formalise exiting the gaming industry,” said Bulldogs CEO Ameet Bains.

“Everyone in the organisation has worked extremely hard to turn our balance sheet around over the last few years, working down significant debt to emerge in the best financial position we have ever been.

“The financial settlement with the MRC puts us in a strong position to build on our plans to grow our revenue sources and invest in our core programming and infrastructure, including pursuing more positive social outcomes through further supporting the incredible work of the Western Bulldogs Community Foundation.

“With the ongoing support of the Daniel Andrews State Government, the AFL and the City of Maribyrnong, we are looking forward to progressing our plans for the continued redevelopment of our home at VU Whitten Oval, transforming it into a vibrant football and community hub for the people of the west.

“With an ambitious vision to achieve 50,000 members for the first time in the Club’s history, we think there’s never been a more exciting time for our army of Bulldogs fans to get on board.

“In achieving this outcome, we thank our Board for their vision and resolve, and thank our Chief Operating Officer Sue Clark and her team, for their hard work and diligence over many months in leading the deal.

“We also thank the Melbourne Racing Club for their cooperation during this process, and we look forward to continuing to build a strong and prosperous future for the Bulldogs.”