Hello,
I just wanted to highlight a growing issue within bookmakers where staff let you pump money after money into FOBT'S and do NOTHING to prevent this from happening.
I recently went in, Put £50 in lost, loaded £100 from my card lost, loaded another £100 (he then asked if I wanted to up the stakes to £100 a spin which I replied no). I then lost this and reloaded another £200 with my card and said to him 'after this deposit please don't let me deposit anymore' he then replied 'You know i can't stop you'
I managed to walk away with £750 in the end but i was disgusted with staff's lack of care when someone clearly has a problem / addiction and they just sit there and say nothing. I was in there over 3 hours.
When an alert pops up on the screen there supposed to speak to the customer EVERY time they never do even worse he was encourgaging me to up the stacks in the process.
How do I complain about this with any effect? should I record the encounter or voice record or something?
I mean this is every single bookmakers iv'e been in and it needs to change. I understand it's my responsibilty to stay in control but there needs to be more preventation on there side of things.
- sam
That is terrible they just don't care. I've seen it before they have a notepad behind till on what you spend but wetter they do much is another thing
Self-exclude from the bookies then. Have you ever thought maybe the staff have tried to stop/talk to customers before and received nothing but abuse? I've seen it happening myself and I can only imagine what I'd have said if someone said to me when I was down a fortune 'here don't you think you have had enough?'.
You're right it is your own responsibility. A compulsive gambler won't stop until they are ready to admit defeat no matter what someone in the bookies says.
Like Sam said it is your responsibility and to be honest it's no good whinging that the staff aren't taking responsibily for you stuffing notes in these machines . My gambling problems were because of the Fobt's so I can fully empathise how your feeling and on some occasion's I was approached by shop staff for a little " Chat " was I interested in what they had to say ? Absolutely not , " Stop interupting me I just want to play " was often my thought and when your in that kind of zone you don't want to stop .
I noticed youv'e been here since 2015 so I'm a little confused as to why your still putting yourself in the firing line , is it that you want to stop gambling or that you just want to stop losing ? .
Maybe just stop going in to the Lions den and the problem will stop ?
On the other other not everyone gives abuse so maybe guidance could be given to some
I’d email the gambling commission, maybe they could give said company and person some extra training. Player protection is there for a reason and should be enforced even in the face of abuse it’s what they’re paid to do. It’s written in their license agreement
The FOBT was my nemesis so i can sympathise. As a (nearly) 50 year old i was pumping ВЈВЈВЈВЈ's daily into these and i noticed a lot of the staff were young.
No amount of training would get them between me and the machine if i was on a losing streak and if they had interfered i would not have acted responsibly if you get my drift.
I think we have to consider the FOBT's are keeping a lot of these shops in business and therefore keeping the staff in employment.
I didnt go down the self exlusion route but gave up all access to funds. No cash or card = no FOBT.
As you say it is your responsibility to stay in control but when losing we become so zoned out nothing else matters.
Best wishes
Who in their right mind would come between a compulsive gambler and his next bet? No amount of danger pay would be worth that!
Cathyx
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/oct/04/betting-shop-staff-problem-gamblers
this is exactly what im talking about. It's not about me the staff have a duty / guidelines which they just don't follow
Bit confused when you say "its not about me".
Of course staff dont follow them - they might end up in hospital getting between a cg and a punt.
There are other steps you can take. Blaming the industry, the bookies, the staff aint gonna help you break this
" It's not about me " ? are you serious ? .
Just don't go in then your problem will go away !
There not staff in a clothing shop enquiring , if your trousers are too tight ?, their in charge of a" Gambling shop " and that's the key word " Gambling " , they keep it tidy , take bets and cash up at the end of the day , " Kerrching " !!
Article is so true I think the staff could be trained more
Do you still work in a betting shop Christer ?
Yes only as a cleaner
I admit it's the customer fault fully but I think workers could do more I've heard staff from a shop actually helping a.addict and it worked
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