Woolworths admits pokie players profiled
WOOLWORTHS has confirmed staff at some of its hotels were profiling poker machine players and targeting gamblers with free drinks to encourage more betting.
The supermarket giant has announced findings of an investigation into allegations, raised in February by federal MP Andrew Wilkie, that some gamblers at Woolworthsowned pubs had detailed profiles compiled about their personal lives and betting behaviour in order to keep them on poker machines longer.
A statement on the investigation from ALH Group – Woolworths’ 75 per centowned joint-venture that houses its hotels business – said investigators found that over about six months from June, 2017, employees in some Queensland pubs were “recording descriptive information about gaming customers”.
Similar practices were found in some South Australian and NSW pubs. Investigators also found some Queensland pub staff gave additional free drinks and extra attention to “high-value customers to encourage further gaming activity”.
Among its responses to the investigation, ALH says it will ban service of free alcoholic drinks in gaming rooms.
Former Woolworths CEO and current ALH chairman Roger Corbett oversaw the investigation, which was launched after Mr Wilkie told federal parliament in February about the alleged practices.
“This isn’t just basic information,” Mr Wilkie told parlia- ment at the time. “We’re talking things like jobs, times people come in, favourite drinks, favourite football teams, whether they have a partner and what their preferred bet level is.”
Mr Wilkie said the poker machine industry had to enforce better harm-minimisation measures, in particular $1 maximum bets and mandatory pre-commitment.