petersham's success is inspiring other lawn bowling clubs and pubs to follow suit. from sydney, phil mercer reports. rocking into profit — this room at the petersham bowling club in sydney was once full of poker or slot machines. they were taken out in 2007. now it's punk bands and pizzas that are paying out. it's a dynamic, it's an exciting, it's an evolving club. that's what being pokie—free gives you. you've got to be on your wits, and you've got to be constantly coming up with new things, and it's really exciting to be part of that, because there's a lot of strategies involved in turning a club around, weaning off the poker machines, engaging with the local community. that chorus is getting louder. the bowling club had relied on gambling for up to 70% of its earnings. now other venues want to follow its lead. it's been a really tough journey for a lot of pubs that have chosen to do this, but the ones that i've been to are absolutely thriving. they're fun to be in. they've got a great community atmosphere. 0ur families are there. you go there for a drink, for