UK Pokie Players Offered Incentives

Across Australia, responsible gambling campaigners are concerned about how much money is being spent on pokie machines. They are concerned that players are being encouraged to bet, thanks to perk and incentives – which seems to the be the in the United Kingdom.

A BBC investigation has found that betting shops across the UK encourage staff to offer pokie players perks in order to keep them playing. From treating customers to food to adjusting the temperature in the gaming salon, many UK pokie operators are finding different ways to keep playing pokies for longer.

“If we had a customer coming in for their lunch hour, we had to make sure they didn’t waste time trying to get a cheese and ham roll instead of playing the machines,” says ‘John’ a manager at a gaming club. “You could go out there, buy them a cheese and ham roll and get it ready for them.”

John also states that some clubs and betting shops have a rewards program that offers managers and staff member bonuses based on how much money the pokies made. As such, employees of the clubs are offered incentives to keep players spinning the reels on pokies.

However, the UK club industry denies any wrongdoing. They have rejected the allegations that claim they encourage players to gamble, citing statistics which show that problem gambling rates are actually on the decline.

“Recent health surveys show that problem gambling rates have in fact fallen since the introduction of FOBTs and the average Coral customer’s loss per session on a FOBT is around six to nine pounds,” reads a statement from Coral.

The company has also stated that it is working to strengthen protection for customers across the country. Following this report, it is likely that UK clubs will offer up a wider range of support services for players.