Gambling

[Carlton green]

Bye and large gambling must be for ‘mugs’ or else bookies would be out of business. As the bookies are doing fine then there is some logic in thinking that their must be a lot of people with more money than sense, but I suspect that things are more complex than that.

If I win a bet it must be down to superior knowledge but my financial gain has to be at someone else’s financial loss, if that’s wilfully exploitive then it is a feature that I’m not completely comfortable with. Anyway I don’t use bookies and if placing a knowledge based bet the thing to remember is to never bet what you can’t afford to loose. Unfortunately a large group of people don’t get that the bookies are cleverer than them and ‘luckier’ too; few folk beat the bookies but those that do are good advertisements for what might be possible (encourages the ‘mugs’).

The possible consequences of gambling are well known and I’m all in favour of regulating it. I feel sorry for those who’s life chances are crushed by the consequences of their own or a family members addiction; folk do some daft things and other folk - parasites IMHO - make money through leading them to do so regardless of the possible consequences.

[kwackers]

The possible consequences of gambling are well known and I’m all in favour of regulating it. I feel sorry for those who’s life chances are crushed by the consequences of their own or a family members addiction; folk do some daft things and other folk - parasites IMHO - make money through leading them to do so regardless of the possible consequences.

Lets not forget we've a pretty good handle these days on how folk "work" and why gambling is addictive. That knowledge is leveraged by folk in the gambling business deliberately to both serve current addiction and generate new.

It'd be like chocolate manufacturers adding cocaine to their product. No doubt some folk would decry the morally inferior for their chocolate addiction but the real issue is encouraging the addiction in the first place.

Of course it's not just gambling (or chocolate).
Consumerism in general is driven in the same way.

[NUKe]

James Bolan did a comedy series in the late 70’s or early eighties where he portrayed the cartoon Character Andy Capp, It wasn’t particularly good, but I do remember one scene, Andy has just lost yet again on the horse, To Camera he says “ How Come Bookies only have 1 window to Pay out, but three for paying in”
A place I worked at as Summer Job when I was young learnt me a valuable lesson, my boss an alcoholic gambler had been talking to someone who knew the owner of a particular horse, that was racing that afternoon, A dead cert it was coming into form. It was decided we were all going to put a tenner on. I was given the collective 120 quid from team, to go to the bookies I had to put it onto win, even when I questioned whether it should be an each way bet I was told no, to win, it’s a dead cert. It came in third, I have never been into a bookies again.

[PH]

Bye and large gambling must be for ‘mugs’ or else bookies would be out of business. As the bookies are doing fine then there is some logic in thinking that their must be a lot of people with more money than sense, but I suspect that things are more complex than that.

You seem to have completely missed that some people enjoy it, there's nothing complex about that, people just enjoy different things.
Even something as random as the lottery, which I don't play, can give a pleasure to the losers, that bit of excitement when you check the numbers... nearly... just three short of being a millionaire.
Something less random, like sports or political betting, gives an interest, you're looking into something and making a prediction, the financial side is secondary though they go hand in hand, putting your money where your mouth is.
The football pools were somewhere in between, it's a shame the lottery has almost killed them off. I used to be a collector and it was three houses out of five would play and there would be a hush in most houses as the results were read out. It'd then be a talking point at work on a Monday, a common interest beyond the financial loss.
I won't even go into bingo, I used to think it a bit of fun, but for some it's a life.
I'm not unaware of the harm it can do, or that elements of the industry are irresponsible, but it'd be a shame if it was regulated out of business. Not that it would be of course, there'd just be an increase in illegal betting.

[Oldjohnw]

If I may say, the point of this post was the cynicism in the very large betting group going on to make millions out of trying to out right he consequential damage.

It isn't for me to condemn out of hand any form of gambling. But this makes me sick. They could make an arm's length donation rather than a profit opportunity.

[Bonefishblues]

Bye and large gambling must be for ‘mugs’ or else bookies would be out of business. As the bookies are doing fine then there is some logic in thinking that their must be a lot of people with more money than sense, but I suspect that things are more complex than that.

You seem to have completely missed that some people enjoy it, there's nothing complex about that, people just enjoy different things.
Even something as random as the lottery, which I don't play, can give a pleasure to the losers, that bit of excitement when you check the numbers... nearly... just three short of being a millionaire.
Something less random, like sports or political betting, gives an interest, you're looking into something and making a prediction, the financial side is secondary though they go hand in hand, putting your money where your mouth is.
The football pools were somewhere in between, it's a shame the lottery has almost killed them off. I used to be a collector and it was three houses out of five would play and there would be a hush in most houses as the results were read out. It'd then be a talking point at work on a Monday, a common interest beyond the financial loss.
I won't even go into bingo, I used to think it a bit of fun, but for some it's a life.
I'm not unaware of the harm it can do, or that elements of the industry are irresponsible, but it'd be a shame if it was regulated out of business. Not that it would be of course, there'd just be an increase in illegal betting.

This.

[kwackers]

but it'd be a shame if it was regulated out of business. Not that it would be of course, there'd just be an increase in illegal betting.

You don't need to regulate it out of business, simply apply some common sense.

The changes to fixed odd betting machines are a good thing IMO. They contributed a fair bit to addictive high stakes betting and removing them is unlikely to cause any issues for anyone but the shop owners.

Not allowing the use of credit cards is another regulation that I think any sane person would find a good thing. It'll hurt nobody who gambles for fun and hopefully help those who are genuinely addicted from falling further into debt.

It's important to recognise just how addictive gambling can be and introduce sensible regulation to counter that.
If the industry really cared they could simply self regulate but you could argue they're addicted to making cash (and by making I mean taking).

[pwa]

I regard betting as a bit like smoking. Take it off TV, take the adverts away, then allow people to go and seek it out if they really want to.

[PH]

but it'd be a shame if it was regulated out of business. Not

The changes to fixed odd betting machines are a good thing IMO

Not allowing the use of credit cards is another regulation that I think any sane person would find a good thing.

Yes, which is why I made both those points in an earlier post.

[kwackers]

Yes, which is why I made both those points in an earlier post.

That was days ago...
I'm no memory man.

[merseymouth]

Hi all, The cynicism of the gambling industry has been active for years! My particular addiction is that of watching American Pickers on TV.
They regularly find slot machines which are covert gambling devices? Some give out a piece of gum, well below the value of the stake, another gave out peanuts, same trick, yet another gave out loosies, all full on gambling machines. But they complied with the letter of the law if not the spirit!
Flys crawling up a wall? TTFN MM

[Cyril Haearn]

Reminded me of Mick Gambling who used to write for Cycling Weakly, Plus One!
(How did he come by his surname?)
Has his humour stood the test of time?

[Mick F]

It wasn't me!
I don't even buy a lottery ticket or be involved with raffles. Mrs Mick F enjoys scratch cards and raffles ............ but I personally wouldn't bother.

Told this story before .................
My maternal grandfather was a coal miner down the pits in Lancashire. Born in 1889 and was miner during WW1.
He was a gambler, and until the day he died aged 90odd was still gambling. He did the horses and the football pools etc.

In 1930 something, aged in his 40s, he won about £10,000 on the Irish Sweeptake.
He gave up work down the pit, had a house built on Preston Rd Coppull
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.61434 ... 384!8i8192
...... with lots of land and he dug for victory during WW2, kept chickens, had a big greenhouse with flowers and tomatoes and grapes, had two more children, and worked part time at the local farm, plus drove the local bus.

I was born in the early 1950s and he was therefore in his late 60s early 70s and still going strong, and still doing the horses and the football pools.
He never won a fortune again, but what he won set him up for life and rescued him from the coal pit digging coal.

Lots of admiration for him. I remember him well.

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[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,

I regard betting as a bit like smoking. Take it off TV, take the adverts away, then allow people to go and seek it out if they really want to.

But they don't want to stir of their fat arses do they, that's no excuse for betting to exits on our devices tho.

[PH]

I regard betting as a bit like smoking. Take it off TV, take the adverts away, then allow people to go and seek it out if they really want to.

I don't see how you can make that equation, the vast majority of gamblers do so without causing any harm either to themselves or anyone around them, that isn't the case with smoking.