Does anyone else feel like they are having a negative effect on problem gamblers? They encourage sign ups to 'help the channel out' and provide incentives to deposit such as competitions.
They're pretty much unregulated and a lot are irresponsible in showing big wins and bonuses without showing the darker side of gambling. In fact, some of these streamers and content providers are minor YouTube celebrities and the influence factor has got to be considered. Gamers influence others to play games they play so I'm certain gamblers influence others to gamble and play different sites and slots.
People want to emulate those such as R********a, the all in or bust mentality is damaging yet he's seen as a hero amongst his gambling addicted fans.
These people obviously have problems themselves but they're also profiting from other problem gamblers. Where as they will get money back from affiliate sites, the viewer will be left with nothing like the regular gambler. They also promote sign up bonuses which have little to no chance of winning 40x plus wagering requirements on most of these sites are sure to mean that most depositers are losers. It's dangerous that these details are not explained in full to new gamblers or those on the verge too.
One arguement is that these streamers help others by allowing them to experience the thrill of gambling without gambling themselves. I believe this is largely untrue. Problem gamblers watching people gambling breeds more gambling problems. Gamblers are not going to stop by watching others win, they may say they do but ultimately it's subliminally getting through to them to gamble more.
Anyone have any thoughts on this?
Yes a good topic. Very early on I went through a phase of watching these videos because i must have wanted some sort of fix of positive reinforcement and watching the reels spinning. I was starting a period of cold turkey but I think I was relapsing at that time because the addiction had me watching those videos and playing the free spins showing that my mind was still absorbed by gambling
A lot of those videos are heavily edited about the lads having a good time. I could see that they actually have problems of their own and it was all in the editing and bravado. There is nothing worse than gamblers banter and that is crystal clear to me now
They seem the sort of people that would not accept being told they have a clear problem and the tone of the videos is generally lads on the make. Anyone posting a concerned comment gets shot down by all the banter and addicts
Over the years I have seen the addicts that put hundreds in and get excited about the edited highlights of winning a jackpot which is often lower or equal to the amount fed in.
So I agree that the videos are dangerous because they are misleading. They are also profiting from the misery of others if the videos are linked to promotions and hit rates.
So I feel You tube have a responsibility to ban that sort of video as it just promotes gambling. Very little other gambling advertising is banned though and that highlights an issue way out of control.
I dont watch any video like that now because it doesnt interest me and I see gambling for what it is
Best wishes to everyone on the forum
I agree, if you post anything remotely negative then you get a huge backlash from addicts and fanboys/girls like you stated.
The best way would be to blanket ban these videos or at least take away the commentary and human element. No editing. The whole advertising section had to adhere to strict regulations but these guys are getting away with it and inspiring people like me and yourself to further gamble.
I've tried reasoning with these guys with some solid, well articulated responses but I have been shot down by their legions of fans. It's a battle that can't be win it seems
Gambling advertising on TV and via sports fixtures is at near saturation point and there aren't any realistic moves to regulate that so hoping for companies like YouTube to self-regulate is a pipe dream.
Best way of dealing with them is not to watch in the first place, especially if negative comments are playing on your mind. Put yourself and your own well being first.
Just a quick note on normal Youtube videos (I don't watch the streams mentioned above). Whether I click to watch Ali G or 9/11 Conspiracy theories an advert for gambling pops up. I have sent Youtube feedback asking them to stop advertising this to me as I'm a CG but I'm still seeing it!
Gundonen wrote: I agree, if you post anything remotely negative then you get a huge backlash from addicts and fanboys/girls like you stated. The best way would be to blanket ban these videos or at least take away the commentary and human element. No editing. The whole advertising section had to adhere to strict regulations but these guys are getting away with it and inspiring people like me and yourself to further gamble. I've tried reasoning with these guys with some solid, well articulated responses but I have been shot down by their legions of fans. It's a battle that can't be win it seems
Yes there is no point entering any comments because they will either be deleted or you will be shot down by the sort of nonsense you hear in all gambling dens. The nonsense I used to hear in the arcade and bookies shows these people for the twisted addicts they are. They invert things just like substance addicts and if you are not a member of the club you will be patronised, rudely dismissed and laughed at.
The worrying thing about those videos is the amount of fanboys/girls who seem at the younger end of the scale. Its all treated like one giant laugh and money making opportunity but there is also that undertone that the lads are living on the edge and blitzing the casino/arcade...getting one back on the man.... all for you. The all or nothing gambling for the camera edited highlights just isnt a truthful representation of a machine session.
I would like to discuss it with any gambler but I dont know if they are doing it for hits or if they are sponsored with the money to do all this. Again its highly misleading to the point of being fraudulent.
Anyway they cant fool or tempt me. I know all about those machines, the urban myths and how they work whether they are a random number generator or not. Its a mugs game.... Its a a fools game and it creates addicts fast. Its not an income scheme and certainly not a get it back later scheme. It creates untold misery and I fear that the people who reach for the forum are the tip of the iceberg
Best wishes to everyone on the forum
I think its 100% promotes gambling, and I think it creates binge gambling as you want to stop and you think I can get my fix by watching someone else. I could watch and think I'll watch these guys and not gamble myself. Lets say I said to myself "I will never eat KFC again" I stop but I really want some, so to stop I can watch a YouTube streamer eat his boneless banquet on my laptop, I get excited I want some and keep watching chicken and chip videos, eventually I just gotta get some this guy is offering me all this chicken and chips if I sign up via his link, a stupid anology but you cant beat an addiction by watching someone else do it.
I think this needs to be seen in context - whereas we cannot avoid the adverts that saturate our television, radio, printed media and high street billboards, it is wholly within our choice to simply not view the gambling videos and streams on youtube / twitch if we acknowledge that we have a compulsive gambling issue and such things trigger our own urges to a point where we cannot remain on a path to recovery.
I don't know if the OP is referencing any particular 'name', but certainly the most popular ones regularly reiterate that it is not possible to win in the long term and that you shouldn't be looking to emulate what they are doing.
Equally they show the good and the bad - and it is the latter which I and many others feel helps to fight our own urges.
A big name recently showed their 2017 withdrawals and deposits, confirming a massive loss as a result of playing online slots and roulette several days every week in order to run their channel.
That to me makes it easier to have a true perspective of how brutal this addiction can be and strengthen the resolve to not be throwing money away at that rate.
End of day, if they harm your recovery, don't watch them, don't bother commenting on their vids, use your time more constructively to recover, gain new hobbies and focus away from gambling and start to take your life back 🙂
Oh I do see it in the context that it is a highly irresponsible thing to be running a channel which effectively promotes gambling on machines. The very act of them doing it is advertising whether we like it or not.
I would like to see the honest accounts as they seem to have a very casual approach to money. I dont know what money they have access to but it would be pretty easy to lose an inheritance/loan over time under the pretence they are casual high rollers providing an entertainment service.
Lets put it this way...they are or know how to provide just the personality to attract viewers and addicts. I dont for one second think Im seeing a true representation of their yearly accounts. Even if they do admit the accounts its still a disgrace to be posting on you tube with no age limit or any restrictions
One of the them keeps pointing out the percentage which if even accurate is over the life cycle of the machine. It does not mean that percentage is coming back per session. Thats a red herring that addicts latch on to and mainly the reason the machine likes to state it. Machine gamblers mostly ignore the odds anyway as the god of thunder pops up on the screen. They are certainly not looking at a number generator sheet saying this comes up one in ten this comes up one in a hundred and so on. Yes some machines are random but the positions of the reels are mapped in such a way that its like having lottery numbers come up
Even the gambling industry have been forced to admit that these machines are for "entertainment" in the light way they word it
I have never gambled online and the tv adverts wash over me and I try to remain calm. However the advertising does annoy me with its win win win, join the party slant.
In a way gambling is the addiction that some people dont think is actually an addiction. They are selling a dream and very early on the industry realised the addicts come running to get a slice of the action.
Its a "legal" high in the same way as any substance. It should attract more frowns that seem reserved for a drug shop.
Best wishes to everyone on the forum
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