I hope you are right. But isn't it possible the bookies will continue by preying on subsequent generations of young adults as they collect their first wage cheques / student loans?
FOBTs are potentially riggable, and I will explain how.
FOBT games, inc roulette, are bound by B2 rules. The gameplay is not random, it is compensated, but over extended gameplay (a significant number of slot/roulette spins). In other words, they must reach the RTP at a certain point. (The B3 cycle is over substantially fewer spins).
All FBOTs are controlled from a central location; the 'operations room', if you like. Any data analyst worth his or her salt could run database queries to determine which FBOT machines, at what location, including the precise machine at that location, are running behind % and coming to the end of the cycle. A quick nod to their contacts on the ground and these machines could be emptied. Sometimes, it might be a batch of machines that needs to hit the RTP so all machines in the given shop or area will pay.
I'm not saying for a single moment this is what happens ... I would never suggest that ... but theoretically it's easy. All it would take would be a weak auditing regime and one or two 'bad actors' in cahoots.
Do I personally have IT experience? Substantial.
Bottom line - stay off FOBTs. Stay off all slots. Best of all - don't gamble!
Hi Everyone.
An interesting thread with many good points being made.
Smoking Drinking and Gambling are extremely harmful and the government know this. look at the misery that drink causes every weekend or simply understand what your liver needs to do with one drink. There really isnt much of a counter argument about responsibility. They rake in massive amounts of tax and there lies a fundamental problem. Do your government really care about you? Think about it. People will do things which are bad for them while the accountants run laughing to the bank.
Understanding the addiction is about understanding the world of the subconscious mind. In very simplistic terms it can be portrayed as the Devil and Angel on each shoulder. These machines are developed by people who bring in experts that fully understand this process. They were always highly addictive but entered a new and even more dangerous phase. They understand that addicts need stronger hits and they incorporated them. Bonus bars and the higher advertised jackpot are two factors designed to increase the addictive nature of machines.
I entered a dangerous new phase of an addiction watching three bonus bars light up with ascending musical notes. I craved three bonus reels falling into place for a feature that might actually give a tiny false win. That in itself is deceptive and should never have got past the regulator....a bonus which isnt really a bonus is deception. I craved that feeling of expectation or dopamine which I had to try and understand during recovery. Its easy to see how machine addicts develop and its less of a mystery than some people make out..
I am wary of the term "weak and vunerable" as this plays into the counter argument that they were just weak and vunerable and should have known better....like its a responsible thing to do but these people are just weak so ignore them.
All these forms of addictions affect people from all walks of life and gambling is up there with the most dangerous. The problem is that gambling addiction is brushed off by some people as being lesser than substance abuse. It is not!
Essentially in a deregulated society we are not protected from these devious money grabbing machines. Few gamblers really understand the odds of how they work. It is not entirely our fault and that is a key point that needs testing in the courts.
We all need to understand a fundamental point as many of you do. There is no such thing as a responsible gamble. The very act does not come under the term responsibility in the dictionary. Even a pound .....you risk your pound and its not technically a responsible thing to do.
The advertising and deregulation is causing so much misery that I fail to see how they can let it continue. How far has it got to go before decency and common sense prevail?
Best wishes to everyone on the forum
I used to play FOBT almost on daily basis. Its been four months since I've been on them. Never will I go back on them nor do I have any urge. Those damm things are designed to hook you and keep you there.
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