A Boulder TAB will close next week after nearly 60 years of taking bets.

The closure will coincide with the opening of a new PubTAB at the Albion Hotel next door, but local punters say it won’t be the same.

Resident Neville Henderson has been gambling at the Boulder TAB since it opened.

He said the TAB was popular with local elderly people who did not like using self-service machines.

“They hate these electronic machines, they would rather come here and have a bet any day,” he said.

“Racing and Wagering WA want everybody to bet on their phones, they’re not interested in these places anymore.

“This place takes cash only, and they want to get rid of cash as well.”

Mr Henderson even worked on building the Boulder TAB when he was an apprentice boilermaker in 1968.

He said he was “very upset” the institution was closing.

“I’ve been coming here for 60 years . . . I’ll give up betting now, I think,” he said.

“You can’t put it on unless you go in the hotel next door and use the electronic machines . . . I can’t be bothered.”

RWWA chief wagering officer Mike Saunders told the Kalgoorlie Miner a new PubTAB would open at the Albion Hotel in June.

“RWWA has been working closely with the licensee on this transition, which will occur at the same time, ensuring there is no loss of retail TAB services for customers in Boulder,” he said.

“More broadly, RWWA continues to review and optimise the WA TAB retail network to ensure it remains sustainable and responsive to changing customer preferences, while maintaining a strong community presence across Western Australia.

“Retail remains an important point of differentiation for the WA TAB, alongside our growing digital offering through TABtouch.”