Haven't been on here for over a week but have reached 44 days today without a single spin on roulette after 2 years of it being my life.
Reading through some of the threads here, I think they probably sum up the evil of these machines more than any I've read so far.
One guy who has started a diary on here now said that the next thing will be credit card slots in them so that you don't have to go to cash-point or take cash out on card at the counter.So it will now be possible to get rid of your month's wages even faster than before.
I have said previously that I'm alarmed at the number of young people, some in their teens who are already hooked in and I think this card facility will worsen the situation, it doesn't give you even a moment to stop and think about how much you have pumped in as it becomes 'virtual' money like playing a nintendo game.
As someone who still enjoys a bet on the horses at the weekend, I may come across as a hypocrite but I have never chased losses on this, it's an interest and a hobby as I like to go to race meetings too.
FOBT's are a different thing all together - I would never have considered myself weak or vulnerable but they get hold of you and squeeze the life and every penny from you and the betting shops are a different place now to when Joe punter used to put his bet on and stick his pound change in the £10 jackpot fruit machine on the way out.
I have often seen people kick the roulette machines and shout obscenities at them when their money is gone.
God, I wish someone would make a documentary featuring some of the heartbreaking stories I've read on here.If it stopped just a few getting reeled in, it would be a start.
That's enough rambling for now
Kay
Hi Kay - I guess everybody has a breaking point when they become weak and vulnerable...either physically or mentally. The problem with these gambling machines becoming ever so more powerfully addicting, is that the threshold for addiction gets reduced more and more with each new edition of these horrible little electronic monsters.
Those who may not have gotten addicted to other forms of gambling, or addicted to previous generations of gambling machines, are now getting badly addicted to these, and as you pointed out with the card slots, the machine designers are making them more addictive still, and in my opinion ya ain't seen nothing yet...the sky is the limit as far as how addictive these gambling machines will be made as computer technology becomes more advanced.
Many articles on gambling have referred to these gambling machines as the cr*ck C*****e of gambling. It's not going to be pretty and in fact it's already quite ugly, and getting uglier every day for too many good folks getting harmed or destroyed by gambling addiction to these terrible machines - exploitation at its finest.
YFIR,
Steve
The other day I was walking thru the high street in my little town when I was stopped by two young ladies who offered me what I thought was some kind of scratch card. They went onto explain that if I went into the betting shop down the road (owned by one of the big four - unmentionables on here) and gave the lady over the counter twenty pounds she would load it onto a fruit machine - a special machine, they explained exitedly, one that was only available in betting shops and had loads of exiting games AND paid out £500; and If I did that four times - paid twenty pounds over the counter on four seperate occasions, and had the card they had given me stamped each time I would be guaranteed to win a prize - guaranteed, anything from a trip abroad to vouchers to play the machines.
I wish I was making this up, but its true, it really happened...
No matter the statistics or commissions or surveys, no matter all the words trotted out by the industry and those that support them about the machines being for 'entertainment' and that its only a tiny minority that get into trouble - we know, and more importantly you know...the machines are designed for addicts, the only way they make money for the industry is from addicts, so they need a few more, so now they are recruiting on the high streets...
Its truly sick and evil and unbelievable that nobody seems to be taking any notice - of course its us addicts that are complaining - which means our views are worthless because we are not taking responsibility for our actions...
James 26
I have been thinking about editing or even withdrawing the final paragraph of my above post. The words are emotional and perhaps inappropriate in the context of the way this excellent thread was begun - strong, sensible advice and strategies for helping anyone wanting to stop playing these machines. I have no desire to detract anyone (least of all myself) from that, however...whilst the words sick and evil were over the top, the sentiment is not; to paraphrase Stephen 'it's getting ugly', and I sincerely believe that we need to be shouting it from the rooftops - who else is going to?
James26
James,
Dont ever erase your feelings on here, no matter what !
Have to confess that when i read about your
experiences in town i did think NO WAY .....
he must be mistaken...........
Have to say now that my chin is still on the floor......
I dunno about rooftops James , i have no head for heights 🙂 but i am certaintly going to be putting pen to paper .
http://www.gerrysutcliffe.org.uk/
(((((((((James ))))))))))
Kim xxx
James,
Your experience of the 'touts' on the high street doesn't surprise me in the slightest.
My local bookie's ( the nearest one anyway which I haven't been in in 6 weeks as it brings back too many bad memories ) did a competition every weekend where they loaded machine with imaginary £50 and the player with most profit at end of day won £30.For me, who regulary fed hundreds in, it was a distaction for a few minutes. that's all, but for anyone who didn't usually play, it was a 'free' introduction and , even if one person a day got the bug, they'd done their job!
You are right that the people complaining are the addicts and it's like an alcoholic complaining about the off-licence selling booze but, having spent a lot of time watching people's behavoir on these damned things , ( including my own) the c***k C*****e comparison is very true, a quick hit, instant addiction, instant poverty and a s**t experience coming back down the next day.
There's a guy who stands outside the law courts in London every single day just holding up a banner about the dangers of smoking - a bit crazy but you have to admire him for campaigning for something he believes in.
Maybe we should make up a 'BAN THE ROULETTE MACHINES' banner and go and keep him company!!!
Kay x
who you should petition is the Gambling Comission since they have a duty to "protect vulnerable people" and in my opinion they are toothless allowing the bookies to walk all over them.
what an excellent post Dave, thanks for it. You are absolutely right - the clue is in the name of these machines FIXED ODDS betting machine. It is programmed to pay out exactly like a bandit, a fixed percentage. No system will change those FIXED odds.
If anyone has any luck on one of these, it is randomly decided by the machine. It is programmed to take a FIXED percentage of all money that goes in. This may be 30%, 40% or more I dont know. If you win more than a few quid, it has DEFINITELY taken THOUSANDS of someone elses money in order for that to be possible.
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superb post every word so true mate only way is a full none stop
Just a reminder to everyone why you MUST stay away from the FOBT's !!
agree and all bookmakers should stop doing the fobt competitions to hook more victims of roulette addiction.
I would like one of my best friends to read the list of 10 points as he wastes so much money on roulette but there is no getting through to him. I've only played once when I put in £10 and he put in £10 and we played together, probably the quickest £10 I ever spent and I felt so stupid afterwards.
The reason nothing changes is because sites like this (GAMCARE) are designed to quell dissent and diffuse political activism. Gamcare, with all it's supportive rhetoric is merely a puppet for the industry - a carthorse to carry ff the angry and wounded to be quiet in some field. Gamcare acknowledges the pitfalls of FOBT, but focusses purely on individual's recovery AFTER the event has passed.
What we need is a prophylactic - a preventative measure.
OF COURSE -- you're never going to stop gambling - and bookies shouldn't be shut down just because some people lose!
But the point is quite simple - FOBTs are beyond the pale! No one here is complaining that gambling is a bad thing, or that it can't be enjoyed in moderation - what we are complaining about is the fact that FOBTs are the Crystal Meth of the gambling world.
No one is saying gambling should be outlawed - but what we are saying is that FOBT are capable of causing too much financial damage to the worst-off in society.
Please, allow me to continue.... All these austere lords and politicians waffle on that gambling is the individuals' choice and it can even be fun.... But by bringing a casino into every High Street in Britain, we are parting with decades of tradition that shielded everyday folks from the pitfalls of gambling addiction.
Where once you had to be a member to achieve the rapid highs and lows of the casino, now every man can fall in the trap on his general business around town.
The austere members of the house of lords who have allowed these machines to proliferate have done so because they are too rich and too aloof to understand the addiction and the level of risk on people on a normal income.
The fact is simple - these machines are beyond the pale - the payouts are too high - the level of stakes are too high - the speed you can bet is too fast.
Come back fruit machines - all is forgiven!
"What we need is a prophylactic - a preventative measure."
Any suggestions?????
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