Shareholders of the Woolworths Ltd have voted against a proposal to limit the operations of the company's poker machines.

Senator Nick Xenophon failed in a bid to limit the bets on the company's machines to $1 and also impose a limit of maximum revenue per hour of $120. The motion supporting the proposal was defeated by almost 98 per cent Woolworths shareholders in an extraordinary general meeting in Adelaide.

Senator Xenophon said that he will look to introduce the proposal to the senate in order to ask the Australian people. Woolworths had faced criticism for buying up poker machines in the poorest areas of Adelaide. Actitvist group GetUp was backing the proposal that was defeated by the shareholders in the meet.

Chief executive Grant O'Brien said that the company has maintained its expectations of a rise in its net profit of 3 to 6 per cent during the financial year till March, 2013. "I have been pleased with the start of the 2013 financial year and our guidance remains unchanged despite the instability of consumer confidence and some uncertainty in global financial markets," he said