Woolworths isn’t the only supermarket owner in Australia that operators poker machines. Coles is yet another retail brand that owns and operates pokies. While this company only has a 10th of Woolworth’s gaming supply, Coles is looking to reduce the potential harm that its games can cause. As such, the company is considering introducing $1 betting limits on all of its pokies.

If a retail brand imposing $1 betting limits on its poker machines sounds like a familiar situation, that’s because it is. Earlier this year, community activist organization GetUp! campaigned for Woolworths to place $1 betting limits on its pokies. It has been revealed that Coles was once targeted as part of the campaign; however, GetUp! dropped the company, thanks to its other efforts to reduce problem gambling rates.

Now, Coles would like to revisit the plan. According to reports, the company wants to introduce betting limits on its poker machines in order to distance itself from its gaming operations. Coles is best known for its retail shops, and its owners would like to keep it this way by ensuring that they do not rely too heavily on gambling in order to generate income.

Wesfarmers, who owns Coles, has hired a consulting firm to iron out the details of the process of imposing betting limits. They will help the company understand the costs of outfitting machines with the proper technology to support $1 limits, as well as the financial effects that betting limits will have on Coles’ bottom line. Before become too dedicated to the cause, however, Coles may want to use Woolworths as an example.

At the company’s recent general meeting, more than 90% of shareholders voted against betting limits. They felt that the limits would push players to competitors’ pokies and do little to deal with problem gambling rates. If this is the case, Coles may want to adopt a new strategy for distancing itself from its gaming operations.

About the Author

George Anderson
Author George, has over 25+ years’ experience in the Pokies and Casinos industry throughout Australia and New Zealand. Loves to research new Pokies games on the block and follows announcements from top industry providers about their upcoming releases. As soon as a new interesting pokie game appears on his radar, George is there to check it out and give you the scoop before anyone else and tell you about all casino sites where can play the latest game. Before this gig, George worked as Pokie game tester, making him an ideal candidate for this genre of work. He is also an animal lover and a proud owner of three dogs.