Gambling

[Behind-the-Gulls]

A new report has shown that Torbay has the highest spend on gambling in the region,with £97.3 milion placed on 66 machines at 18 betting shops in the area.These are Fixed-odds Betting terminals( FOBTS)-touch screen roulette and casino gaming machines in betting shops ,on which it is possible to stake up to £100 every 20 seconds.
The Campaign for Fairer Gambling have called these machines the "crack cocaine of gambling",and the Gambling ACT of 2005 limits each betting shop to four FOBTs-so bookies leapfrog regulations by opening up as many shops as possible.
Four times the amount is bet in unemployment blackspots than in richer constituencies,according to the research.
Labour has admited gambling liberalisation laws introduced by the former Labour government were a mistake and has ruined people's lives.

I find these figures for Torbay astounding and very worrying-many people in Torbay are in debt and it appears bookies are preying on the vulnerable and desperate without any safeguards. Surely these machines should be made less profitable-it appears this type of gambling is every bit addictive as drug-use or heavy drinking.

[AustrianAndyGull]

It's an interesting debate this BTG, but in my opinion each individual is responsible for their own actions. Just because a bookies has loads of FOBT's it doesn't mean that you have to use them. Bookies offer a service and their customers take advantage of this which could result in them gaining money or losing money but at the end of the day, if an individual lacks the self restraint to not spend all his money on betting then that's their lookout. It's not the bookies fault. Just like binge drinking is the fault of the people who CHOOSE to binge drink and not the supermarkets / alcohol producers / pubs. We make excuses for weak people and it has to stop. I'm weak in the sense that i myself have spent money in the past that i can't afford because i like to gamble but that is my fault.

All the bookies have done is offer another way for people to lose their money and so long as there are people out there willing to do so then they will only add more and more machines into shops.

[AustrianAndyGull]

Can i also say that it is good practice however for bookmakers to have advice sheets and helplines for people who may need help with their addiction.

[Behind-the-Gulls]

Don't disagree Andy really- ultimately you never win when you gamble regularly but when you do win a few quid its obviously very tempting to have another go and thus it becomes addictive. The consequences can be horrific-debts which end up destroying families,money owed to friends,relatives,credit card companies,landlords,etc. Still think gambling laws could be tightened up and gambling adverts are now too "in your face". Bookies have never had it so good-given its so easy to bet on-line,on your phone,app etc.
It must be one of the few growth industries in the country and all this could spiral out of control given the type of figures mentioned for Torbay and other poor areas.

[happytorq]

Also, it's worth noting that the £97.3M figure they're touting is probably a touch misleading; that's the total amount of money staked, but if you've played an FOBT you'll know that you could put in £20 and it can last ages (depending on how you're betting), and your overall stake could easily be £200-£300. You're recycling whatever money you get back. Speaking from experience, the 4 machines I had used to generate about £500 a day in profit. (this was on St. Marychurch Road).

Regarding what Andy said about taking responsibility; this is of course, true. Nobody handcuffs you to the machine and forces you to pour your cash into it. That said, the bookmakers do everything they can to make them more appealing. At some point there needs to be a line drawn between the desire for profit and corporate responsibility. Although "they will only add more and more machines into shops" is not accurate as you're only allowed 4 in each shop. Bookies get around that by opening more shops - and in an economically depressed area like Torbay, it's easier to get a license because property owners want occupants and the council want business. I know with my 4 there were often queues of people waiting to play them. I had a go occasionally (not at my shop, obviously) but I never found them that much fun.

Do Hills and Ladbrokes still have big placements for materials from GamCare? they are/were a gambling addiction charity and we went through a stage of putting their stuff out next to machine so that people with problems could get help.

[AustrianAndyGull]

In my laddies Happy they still have the leaflets on GamCare and signs dotted about but many of the 'regulars' look like they can't even read let alone hold a conversation.

The machines are appealing to potential addicts but you could say that about many vices for which self responsibility is put to one side.