Gambling ads on TV.... and on news websites, driving me crazy!

Well, bro. TV is not going anywhere. Turn the sh.t of. You are echoing abstain fatigue. No one is blaming you for that. The industry absolutely knows that they just need to bomb you with ads then at some stage you may fall in the pool again. You can change that by being stronger than them. Turn off your TV. Come back when you can handle it.  There are ways out there to switch on that normal mind again. Dig deep and you will find out how it works.

Best

C

I now have total contempt for gambling companies and the way they advertise as if everyone wins. As compulsive gamblers we know how bad it can get but they get away with it because the vast majority of people don't get to rock bottom like us. I suppose it's the same for alcoholics when they see ads, but I can have a couple of beers and walk away.

Regarding your relapse you need to plug the holes in your blockers. Are you registered with Gamstop, put a blocker on your phone and ask your bank to block all transactions to gambling companies. 

All the best

Hi,

c43 is spot on TV ain't going anywhere & neither are the advertising agencies. As he rightly says, switch off, ignore until you're strong enough to not be influenced. Be as smart as them bro.

Al

Yes its scandalous and that is crystal clear to me now. Its a scandal of monumental proportions but so many things in modern politics are.

I have deleted most of the television channels and mainly watch the BBC. Not perfect but at least it doesnt have long advertising three or four times per hour. I cant actually think of a tv advert that has tempted me to buy something....I generally hate advertising

When I do catch these adverts I have to let them wash over me and not get too annoyed. I cant always instantly reach for the remote and nor should I have to. You are right that they are everywhere and clearly getting worse.

I dont remember seeing so many even a year or two ago. We should all write to the gambling commission and our MPs but my overall feeling is that is useless in the face of a massive vested interest....I have never once thought that writing to a local mp changes anything

I think the problem is now going exponential and I will debate with anybody that is a harmless bit of entertainment for most people. I simply dont believe that because I know the drugs it sets up within the body....You dont have to inject them....the body creates them. Its primordial and extremely addictive.

I know there are loads of addicts in various stages of the progressive illness who are far away from admitting it has taken over their lives.

I'm telling you all I was addicted for 40 years and I didn't even realise I was a complete addict for it. I just thought I got a bit carried away and shouldn't be so stupid......I also must of thought it was always a temporary state and it was going to come right.. I didn't really ride the losses...I ended up bankrupt twice and was at one point living in a semi condemned tower block with absolutely no furniture and no food. It makes me shudder how down, depressed and completely out of it I was...I was dying a slow death!

I wasn't even a gambling statistic...just down as a sad loser in life and nobody seemed to care.

I also have total contempt for gambling companies especially slot machine manufacturers...They know what they are doing and we seem to live in a society where this sinister deviousness is well rewarded as being industrious and clever...not that Im surprised by that...I dont believe a word the government utter.

Take care...complain and stop watching any channel that has gambling advertising...let the tv companies, internet providers and the ASA jokers know that it is not acceptable

Best wishes to everyone on the forum

As a football fan, unfortunately these ads are seen ever few minutes if not constantly during matches. I know not everyone has issues with gambling, such as some can not handle drink and I can easily go few months without even 1.

I do agree they shouldn't be so often, but unfortunately it is such a big industry with sponsorship and celebs endorsing that I dont think it's going to get less, bit like all you used to see was payday loan adverts...cant say I seen one them in ages now. 

Lets be honest about this the goverment doesnt crack down on adverts like this or explain the negative impacts of gambling because the gambling industry is worth billions worldwide and every single penny of that is taxable to the goverment therefore if their making money on it at the end of the day they why would they stop them or want you to understand the negative impacts of gambling.

The adverts make gambling look cool, fun and will make you happy but in reality its the complete oppostite when you have a gambling problem. Its the exact same way in which they used to advertise cigarettes in the 1950s etc. I agree that they shouldnt be shown every 2 minutes but at the end off the day theres nothing we can really do about it.

I can block these adverts out of my mind easily by realising the hidden messages behind them which is let us rob your money from you and have a gambling addiction to depend on and when the fun stops, stop... Its a bit late for that when the fun stops and you have an addiction you simply cant stop so that motto in itself is deceiving. Once i could see the adverts for what they really were they didnt bother me at all. If people give into these adverts then they are only finding themselves getting roped into a trap.

Another thing that's perhaps even worse is that, during football games, you're seeing betting company logos on shirts and ad hoardings....I bet most of us aren't even consciously aware of how many times we see those ads in the course of 90 minutes. 

I really do hope the Government follows through on its aim of banning shirt sponsorship and I hope they extend it to stadium advertising.