Gambling, What's The Best Thing That Can Happen?

[ToraToraTora]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-56251835
.......you win? err nope that's the worst thing that can happen. I've known several people who won a jackpot on a fruit machine or had a good night at the casino etc, and that started a destructive addiction. Having flirted with gambling on occasion I count myself lucky to just be the the occasional punter. Just ask yourself a question why do gambling opportunities exist? So the best thing that can happen early on is that you lose all your wages in 5 mins one week and never go there again.

[emmie]

i have only bet when at the racecourse, and very rarely on the lottery, i wouldn't splash the cash on either, its too easy to lose, and hard to get.

[pixie374]

No, winning is probably the best thing that can happen. Addiction is probably the worst.
I've gambled at racecourses on our own horses and used to buy the occasional lottery ticket. It isn't harmful, unless it gets out of control.

[AuntPollyGrey]

It's a very serious problem. In the 'Olden' days one had to physically go to the betting shop/bingo/casino -now you can gamble away your Benefit money on your sofa -it's ridiculous all these adverts for online Bingo and free bets. These ads should be banned in the same way cigarette ones were, that would be a start.

[ToraToraTora]

pixie: "No, winning is probably the best thing that can happen. " - no that encourages more participation, that's when it becomes destructive. Read the link, early on, the guy won £250 on a roulette machine in the bookies, that's how it started, he thought it was easy money.

[TonyV]

I had a couple of lottery tickets last Saturday, no cash winning numbers, but a couple of lucky dips for next weekend.

[Patsy33]

Most people can have the odd flutter here and there and enjoy it without addiction problems.
But, some don't., and it's absolutely horrendous, heartbreaking....

[emmie]

no, its the hardest thing to give up....

[ummmm]

My dad was a gambling addict. It nearly destroyed us. At 16 I was sorting his crap out. I worked full time and most of my wages paid his debts off.

Guilt stopped him. Besides that, he was a lovely man.

[Patsy33]

Ummm, that was a lovely thing to do. Glad it made your Dad stop.

[ToraToraTora]

One of my wife's friends git seriously into gambling on the net from home. She had cancer, and was very ill and just got pulled into it at home, she died. I felt so sorry for her husband who worked away a lot and with in a few weeks he'd lost his wife and then realised that she'd spent almost all the equity in their house. Poor guy was pretty suicidal himself when he realised he had nothing left.

[pixie374]

//no that encourages more participation, that's when it becomes destructive//

I did read it, ttt. I just don't agree. It becomes destructive when people become addicted. And while I fully agree those people should get much more help than they do, I don't agree the answer is to ban everything that might cause a problem, like some kind of nanny state.
Realistically, if you have a point- we would ban all gambling, smoking, alcohol, sex, drugs, exercise.... and everything else that a minority get addicted to.
I think you need to support the people that do struggle, but not necessarily remove it from everyone else, who can keep it under control.
We have alcoholics, so should we ban alcohol?

[Ken4155]

If you have an addictive nature, almost anything you do can become an addiction; drink, drugs, gambling, womanising/manising (all things which can ruin your life and lose you everything you claim to hold dear). I cannot get my head around the fact that those gamblers who lose oodles of dosh believe they will ever get it back. Chasing one's losses is a sure-fire path to destruction.

[ToraToraTora]

pixie: " did read it, ttt. I just don't agree. It becomes destructive when people become addicted" - and they get addicted when they win!

[ToraToraTora]

pixie: " I don't agree the answer is to ban everything that might cause a problem, like some kind of nanny state.
Realistically, if you have a point- we would ban all gambling, smoking, alcohol, sex, drugs, exercise.... and everything else that a minority get addicted to. " - who said anything about banning anything?

[pixie374]

//. I cannot get my head around the fact that those gamblers who lose oodles of dosh believe they will ever get it back.//

I can. It's irrational and unlikely, but addictions are not usually logical and thought out. I can see how it might be a compulsion.

[pixie374]

Nobody :-). So, we continue with it and my first reply was about right.

[ToraToraTora]

why are there fruit machines in pubs? Because they make a profit. How do they make a profit? because they take in more money that they pay out. A regular fruit machine player cannot win on a fruit machine over all yet they play them all the time. Not only are they the most boring things in history they have the worst possible payout ratio!

[pixie374]

Sounds like insurance companies....

[Ken4155]

TTT, when i was a steward of a local club, the two 'bandits' were emptied twice per week; Thursday and Saturday. For about a week after one (or both) of the jackpots had been won, there wouldn't be a great deal in either (£100 or so). However, the more the jackpot built up, the more we took out of it, sometimes clearing £500 from both. And, yes, we did have a few customers who believed they could outsmart the machine. 99 times out of 100, those customers went home with nothing but loose change in their pockets.

[Ken4155]

TTT, just read the entire link. The guy is obviously very intelligent but is sadly lacking in common sense. "Every time i placed a bet, i thought i would win £35,000." Yeah, that's just how it works :-//