Woolworths has been at odds with community organization GetUp! for the past few months. The group has been attempting to get the poker machine operation to improve $1 betting on all of its machines, a plan which Woolworths resisted from Day 1. Now, after months of campaigning on GetUp’s part, Woolworths has rejected the betting limit proposal once and for all.

The decision to do so was agreed upon today at Woolworth’s extraordinary general meeting. 95% of shareholders voted against imposing $1 betting limits on poker machines. According to board members, singling out one poker machine operator does not seem to be an effective way to curb problem gambling rates in Australia.

"Is putting a measure like this on a single player going to have any effect?”, asks Grant O’Brien, Woolworth’s Chief Executive. “Or is it just going to mean people leave our hotels and go to an equally accessible hotel nearby?" O’Brien maintains that Woolworths is dedicated to responsible gambling in Australia, and has spent the past few years working hard to curb problem gambling rates.

He claims that pre-commitment has been tested on Woolworths poker machines since 2008, so they will be ready to do by the gambling reform deadline of 2016. He feels that this is more effective way of dealing with problem gambling in Australia. Problem gambling must be dealt with on a national level, rather than by singling out one group.

Although Woolworths is the largest poker machine operator in the country (operating 11 000 pokies), problem gambling rates will only fall if gaming operators work together to impose the same responsible gambling provision. It is this oversight that has caused many sources to call GetUp’s plan ineffective. According to James Kirby of the Business Spectator, GetUp had devised a “ silly, poorly conceived anti-pokies campaign”.

Now, the local community can look forward to a successful anti-addiction initiative being put into place, as pre-commitment technology will be available on all poker machines in Australia over the course of the next few years.

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.