Woolies staff rewarded for spying on pokie players
A Fairfax Media investigation has revealed staff in pubs owned by Woolworths are being rewarded for spying on pokies players and sharing detailed, personal information to encourage them to stay longer and increase their gambling losses.
The report cites data shared on a Google drive among the 400 pubs in Woolies’ network across the country, complied in a bid to increase the company’s gaming venue.
Screenshots obtained by MP Andrew Wilkie and shared with Fairfax Media reveal how staff employed predatory tactics like rewarding players with gift vouchers when targets were reached, and compiling data on personal habits.
One staff member notes after a shift: “Started slow, picked up after 9, coffees, drink shouts and toasties trying to keep them in, a lot of promo tickets going out.”
Mr Wilkie told Fairfax Media, “It used to be an unwritten thing, you’d talk to patrons in a genuine sense, but now those genuine interactions aren’t what they used to be. We’re actually writing it down so that we can get people to stay for as long as possible, to put as much money into the machines as possible.
“You’d record that stuff so that any new gaming staff can easily get up to speed with our VIP customers, who we want to keep gambling for as long as possible, so you can easily strike up a conversation with them and build rapport really quickly.
“You know the ins-and-outs of their life. You’re writing down what they do, when they sort of …what time they normally come in, the teams they barrack for and then you can go and have a conversation with them very, very easily because you’ve got that background information.
“It’s the predatory tactics that's being deployed. It’s unethical and essentially you are looking over people’s shoulders, and documenting what people are doing and they don’t know that you are doing that. They think you are having a general chit-chat with them, but you are actually profiling it.
“I’m not the only one that feels uncomfortable about it, a lot of my friends that work in the industry feel very uneasy about it, but they are told to do it by their bosses, so that’s what they do. You have to keep your job.”
Woolies owns 12,000 poker machines across Australia through a majority share in ALH.
ALH provided a statement to Fairfax Media, saying it was concerned with the gaming practices revealed in the pubs highlighted in the investigation.
"We have commenced an investigation to ascertain what occurred as we take our responsibilities in providing responsible service of gaming and alcohol most seriously," the spokesman said.
What are your thoughts? Does Woolies have a case to answer for?