Just been reading the thread on banning FOBT's from bookies and it got me thinking. Bookies are very much including in their advertising promoting the need to 'gamble responsibly' just as alcohol states 'drink responsibly'. The cynics (me being one of them) think this is to avoid further regulation. Ultimately we all are on this forum because we got ourselves into the mess so the bottom line being can blame no one but ourselves, but I think in some way more should be done.
If I try and get a loan its rejected due to my poor finances/lack of income/poor credit history so why can't bookies (thinking online specifically) do same. I may have still ended up in bother but if when I signed up to these sites I had to prove I had the funds/income to place the stakes I did then I would never have got into the real financial trouble I did. I know most sites allow you to set your own limit but that's hardly going to stop the compulsive gambler.
Who knows instead of this being an anti gambling thread it could be that through strict governance gambling could actually be an accepted form of entertainment? (PS I am in no way thinking of returning to gambling - my days are done! Self exclusion is the best solution for all!) Just wanting others views through discussion.....
Apologies to all on this site for this getting posted twice. I have no idea why as didn't send it twice?!?
As a compulsive gambler I couldn't agree more. Obviously we all know that bookies/online casinos etc exist to simply make millions preying on vulnerable people like us who have no control over it.
However, like you say there is no requirement by them to ensure that we can afford to gamble or that we don't have a problem. They also need to limit advertising as they did with smoking. You can't watch sport now without seeing Ray Winstones face advertising a betting site.
Hopefully the regulators will wise up and do something positive, but I am not so sure.
I couldn't agree more with what your saying. In my mind I can't understand why on earth there is not a central register for all those that want to self exclude? Such that any gambling company new to the market or existing has an obligation to ensure none of their users are on this list- make it part of the KYC process (know your client) and make them punishable for any non compliance? The current situation is like having to go into the the lions den and ask them not to eat you! It's madness!
The cost for a regulator or gov department to implement something like this would be peanuts. Obviously there is the issue of how it is enforced for bookies in the high street but a membership would solve that and it would also discourage people just wanting to kill a bit of time to start gambling as they can't just walk in.
Gambling is a massive problem in society and should be on the agenda to at least put controls in place to limit people's suffering.
Who remembers around the first few years these roulette fobts in the shops paid a lot out even my brother won a lot of money on three machines once and I did also in one day !
when they increased the numbers of machines in the shops was the purpose to get us hooked then like the last year and half they don't pay out 1/4 what they used to ?
More machines less pay out ?
Who concurs
The main bookies shop I used to use knew I self excluded online but didn't mind me losing in the shop on their roulette machines !
They say you can limit what you play on a roulette machine recently in shops so who was scrutinising this limit control in the shops ?
Basically it was if the punter wanted to do but how ? if they where a problem gambler they wont do ! and the bookie released them selves from care and duty .
Why are bookies online offshore Gibraltar etc
I am not so sure..
I think its just life.
I got hooked when I was 18... Went in with a quid, put it on a number, won 36, bought a nice dinner and some booze.
Hooked for life.
I am an idiot. I never win a penny anymore.
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