Russell Crowe
Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic
The Oscar-winning actor and doting dad – who bought the cash-strapped South Sydney Rabbitohs rugby team in 2006 – argued that the machines should be dumped because of concerns about the social impact of gambling.
"We put [in] a proposal for a family-friendly club, an inclusive club," said Crowe's co-owner, Peter Holmes a Court, according to Reuters news agency. As part of the plan, the club would remove 160 Vegas-style poker machines, saying goodbye to $862,000 in annual revenue.
Although the team's other board members were reportedly skeptical at first, they voted in 4-3 in favor of the proposal Wednesday night.
The move seems to be part of Crowe's ongoing effort to clean up the action at Rabbitohs games. In February, he dropped scantily clad cheerleaders from the sidelines after his wife, Danielle Spencer, and other fans complained.
