National Gambling ID Card

Yes Regulation of gambling is essential and a gambling identity card could play a strong role in that.

There is a lot of hypocrisy surrounding the way gambling dens are allowed to operate, where bookies are located and where slot machines are placed.

Oh protect the children with an age limit but I started gambling  on commercial premises when I was in my early teens. Chip shops, holiday centres, back rooms in pubs, travelling fairs....nobody really stopped me.

Maybe because many people even today still see gambling as a bit of cheeky harmless fun but the people monitoring these machines are in on the profits

I mean the authorities know its a vice. They know its not a wholesome activity and they know it gets out of hand fast but very little is done to protect us.

An ID card for adults would take away some of the secretive side of gambling. It may prevent some people from gambling as its a lot more formal and would have an air of a more serious activity not to be taken lightly.

Im not sure about that though. Its main purpose would be to enforce blocks especially if the id card was scanned in some way

The card could show extra information like some sort of gambling limit or affordability...a gambling limit would be a good step but I cant see how that would work in practice

I thinks its one part of regulation but more needs to be done. 

I would not allow bookies on high streets or housing estates. I briefly lived on an estate that had a one grotty grocery shop and a bookies. The bookies was in a better state than the food shop. 

Gambling dens should be well on the outskirts of town in my view. People should have to travel well away and present a card on entry. I believe the casinos have a sign in system which should be extended everywhere.

I would not allow slot machines in pubs, motorway service stations, cinemas restaurants etc. That would be a big step in regulating them to gambling only venues.

If people are going to gamble then it should be well away from "normal" activities....yes stigmitise gamblers because I dont see it as an activity to be respected in any way

Anyway short of a ban these are just a few main steps I would like to see.

What do others think?

Best wishes to everyone on the forum

I always thought about something like that. Or a card where you set your limits and you can only deposit that amount of money on to that card. For example, you set £100 monthly limit. So you deposit from your bank to this card and you can then only spend £100. All online casinos would be allowed to accept this as payment and nothing else. 

to get your limits increased etc you are screened for your affordability and your limit would only be something you could afford as disposal income. 

many options out there to help us but the bookies and casinos would lose money dramatically so in my eyes it would never happen. Great idea though I’m totally for it.

Best way to beat this is your own will power and dedication. 

We need cards because even when ur excluded from a betting shop in my experience they never stop u using.

I use to work in the industry and I always thought that people should have to sign up to bet via the gambling commission, then if they bet on any site on in any shop they have to login to gamble so every penny could be tracked.

When you sign up it should be like getting a loan, full proof of ID and address as well as access to you credit rating so they can set a limit. You don't go into a bank earning £25k a year and they let you borrow endless amounts, gambling should be the same and it would put  a stop to all this VIP nonsense. Gambling companies do ask for ID now but thats when you withdraw, after you have gambled £100s already with their welcome offers, which is a farce as they know it's getting people sucked in and basically grooming them.  Research has also shown our brains are more adept to getting hooked to the gambling buzz before the age of 21, so imagine a 16 year old getting their parents card and signing up depositing say £30 getting a welcome offer with it and they have to bet it 35 times to turn it into real cash. This way the user has to spend hours gambling and a 16 year old could get hooked by then, when they go to withdraw then they need to produce proof. Its crazy and needs wholesale change, but change is happening, its small increments as these companies are huge and have such lobbying power but we can get on to our local politicians and we can sign petitions and affect change.