[Help] Gambling: The Unique Addiction?

[vegster]

Thanks for your kind words

I’m not breaking any confidences here, as it’s part of his story he recounts at GA.

For a time things were very good, ie of that 900k, he had won some of it, during this time, a well known high street bookmaking chain used to take him to the major race meetings in corporate hospitality, they took him to both Cheltenham and Epsom by helicopter.
I think that’s what referred to in addiction circles as an ‘enabler’.

He also recounted that back in the day another one of the ‘clique’ was paid out at a local betting office £19,000 at 11am on a Thursday , because he insisted on cash the bookmakers had to escort him home.


By 9pm the following night, Friday, they had recouped all but £900 of their money, after a number of large bets had gone down along with the £100 a spin roulette machines in the betting shops ( now thankfully reduced by law to £2 maximum spin)

I think that the bookies know exactly that gambling odds and roulette/fruit macine odds are weighted in favour of the house. They know full well that someone who wins big is unable to totally walk away and they will come back and try to chase another win.... and lose. There has been an explosion of gambling sites online and on the High Street in recent year's. They are making ridiculous money, you will NEVER beat the bookies in the end.

Hope your pal gets the help and support he needs and can get back on track Ian.

 

[Weststander]

Think I’ve seen enough to not take any of your advice thanks

Bookmakers exist to profit by depriving punters of money.

The likes of Starlizard exist to give long term return to its members.

 

[dangull]

Very few people win in the long run against the bookies which makes it a stupid addiction.
I know from first hand and have lost a lot of money in the past, including alcohol chasing losses.
A thing in the past for me now. I watch sport now without trying to work out the odds.

 

[Lenny Rider]

A thousand views, if just one person gets help it’s been a good day

Good night all x

 

[Swansman]

From TB's wiki page:

'Bloom's wealth has been accumulated primarily through proprietary or value betting on sports events. Bloom heads a private betting syndicate which is believed to have been continuously successful year on year for a sustained period of time'

Just saying

(and immediately somewhere down in deepest darkest Chailey the red phone starts ringing in the botcave )

Yeah he's a billionaire and you don't often become that without f***ing over a lot of people.

He's not a saint. Obviously his Lizard-gang is betting on the Asian markets where you can be anonymous, you can bet on fixed matches, you can bet any amounts of money and you can win without getting thrown out unlike in European betting companies. The Asian betting market is the reason why on a normal day you have a 100+ fixed games in Europe (usually in lower divisions in smaller nations, like Sweden) and TB has no problems using the structure of the betting markets over there, despite the effect on football.

Still, he isn't killing anyone or contributing to too much death and destruction... probably putting him among the 5% most moral club owners in top football.

 

[Justice]

Scale, approach, risk of loss, plus entry requirements and due diligence to ensure affordability all very different according to what I’ve read/heard. Outfits like Starlizard are closer to fund managers than they are to the likes of B365 in terms of how they operate.

Investing the middle class word for gambling is somehow deemed acceptable in society. Fund managers bet on financial markets some get wiped out depending on their size all of the clients money gone overnight. It’s the same thing gambling for wealthy people.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Investing the middle class word for gambling is somehow deemed acceptable in society. Fund managers bet on financial markets some get wiped out depending on their size all of the clients money gone overnight. It’s the same thing gambling for wealthy people.

Most Financial Markets are just gambling. Nick Leeson was gambling, just not on sport. Crypto and traditional currency trading are gambling, even insurance contracts are gambling, where the insurer or reinsurer is effectively putting money on something not happening because they've gathered enough information on the risk of it not happening. The 2008 Financial Crisis, far from being "caused by Labour" was caused by bankers gambling.

Mostly, however, this is very similar to TB's operation as Dazzer says, because you have the power of an organisation with huge resources that can absorb small losses. Effectively high net worth syndicates. Some traders are also very sensible. I used to play poker with a group once a month and three of them were traders or ex traders and another couple had written trading software. We were never allowed to lose more than about £30. It was £10 in and £10 buy back in, but unless you went all in blind after buying back in that would do you for the night. We probably spent more on beer and cheese (there was a cheese break )

All that is a world away from what Lenny's colleague and Roy and some others on this thread have gone through, without the backing of a huge bank or reinsurer and the control that normally gives you (though I'm sure there are some heavily addicted traders too).

Also have a mate who was briefly an account manager (basically a gambling underwriter who looked out for people who were winning too much and high net worth syndicates with a front) with a high street bookie and left because he found it immoral.

Good thread @Lenny Rider hope it helps people.

 

[Marty___Mcfly]

I do think some restrictions on gambling advertising will come. It’s mad the advertising can happen anywhere anytime and it’s embedded in sports radio, tv broadcasts, podcasts etc all of which children are consuming.

Not sure how long it will take with the vested interests in play with government.

 

[Perfidious Albion]

Given the restrictions on many things, even advertising sugary foods, I am lost as to why there is no curb on gambling adverts and sponsorship. We all know the harm it can do and this thread has spotlighted that.
I guess there is too much money to be made and the bookmakers have the funds to lobby parliament........

 

[Lenny Rider]

Yeah he's a billionaire and you don't often become that without f***ing over a lot of people.

He's not a saint. Obviously his Lizard-gang is betting on the Asian markets where you can be anonymous, you can bet on fixed matches, you can bet any amounts of money and you can win without getting thrown out unlike in European betting companies. The Asian betting market is the reason why on a normal day you have a 100+ fixed games in Europe (usually in lower divisions in smaller nations, like Sweden) and TB has no problems using the structure of the betting markets over there, despite the effect on football.

Still, he isn't killing anyone or contributing to too much death and destruction... probably putting him among the 5% most moral club owners in top football.

.

 

[Guinness Boy]

100+ fixed games in one day?

How can they let that go on?

I'd be careful around the legality of that statement to be honest. I'd hate for Boz to be contacted about what is essentially a really good "help" thread.

Also, if talking about games globally there really isn't a "they", is there?

 

[Lenny Rider]

I'd be careful around the legality of that statement to be honest. I'd hate for Boz to be contacted about what is essentially a really good "help" thread.

Also, if talking about games globally there really isn't a "they", is there?

Edited


I was just shocked to wake up and see that statement from Swansman.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Edited


I was just shocked to wake up and see that statement from Swansman.

Not a problem. It just seems a difficult thing to prove beyond reasonable doubt. If Swansman has examples from Sweden where teams have been found guilty and punished it would be great to see them though, perhaps more grist to the mill that everything's in the bookies' favour.

 

[Justice]

I do think some restrictions on gambling advertising will come. It’s mad the advertising can happen anywhere anytime and it’s embedded in sports radio, tv broadcasts, podcasts etc all of which children are consuming.

Not sure how long it will take with the vested interests in play with government.

Do you really think a gambler takes any notice of when the fun stops crap? Not at all they are to busy thinking about the next bet.

 

[Marty___Mcfly]

Given the restrictions on many things, even advertising sugary foods, I am lost as to why there is no curb on gambling adverts and sponsorship. We all know the harm it can do and this thread has spotlighted that.
I guess there is too much money to be made and the bookmakers have the funds to lobby parliament........

It will change when the public pressure / outrage outweighs the vested interests lobbying government. It hasn’t happened yet partly because the gambling companies have good marketing and still manage to sell it as a fun industry rather than the reality that it relies on harmful addiction and big losers destroying their lives.

I think the cigarette brands managed something similar for a while but eventually the tide of public opinion turned.

The alcohol industry still has a pretty free rein advertising booze as a fun product - don’t think they have a watershed advertising time (?), can advertise online etc so still have good access to underage consumers.

Addictive junk food also has complete freedom and invests heavily in targeting children. A number of tobacco companies started investing in that when the tobacco markets started to decrease / be restricted in western countries.

Gambling is hardcore and destroys lives and I would very much like to see it restricted. There are similar examples out there though and they all need constructive change

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

Do you really think a gambler takes any notice of when the fun stops crap? Not at all they are to busy thinking about the next bet.

No different to ‘drink responsibility’ or ‘Smoking kills’ in that those with addictions will continue to do what they want. However, if those messages stop anyone, especially kids, from taking up these activities or at least makes them think about moderating their drinking, smoking or betting, then they are worthwhile.

As for the impacts of gambling, anyone who hasn’t read it should look at the Paul Merton thread from earlier in the year which had some very good views on gambling.

 

[dazzer6666]

Do you really think a gambler takes any notice of when the fun stops crap? Not at all they are to busy thinking about the next bet.

100% this. Companies have to do it but it’s taking a cup of water to a forest fire to some extent. The answer has to be much tighter controls within the companies to limit excessive betting (as was done with the fixed odds machines in shops) enforced by stronger regulation. They already have the tools in place to be able to do this

The amount of gambling going on in younger age groups is a big issue I think. Simply from the number of discussions I‘ve heard amongst the 20-somethings tells me it’s absolutely rife.

 

[Marty___Mcfly]

The industry benefit from the ‘when the fun stops’ narrative, the same as a ‘drink responsibly’ message. It implies that the individual is personally to blame for any problematic behaviour. Which diverts attention from the overall system / product and maintains a pretence that that side of things is fine. So the companies can say- ‘our product and practices are fine / fun, it’s just a small number of individuals taking bad decisions.’

It’s a scam that is still working.

 

[LANGDON SEAGULL]

No different to ‘drink responsibility’ or ‘Smoking kills’ in that those with addictions will continue to do what they want. However, if those messages stop anyone, especially kids, from taking up these activities or at least makes them think about moderating their drinking, smoking or betting, then they are worthwhile.

As for the impacts of gambling, anyone who hasn’t read it should look at the Paul Merton thread from earlier in the year which had some very good views on gambling.

Sorry to be pedantic , but do you mean Paul Merson?

 

[sparkie]

It’s a disgrace that gambling companies are allowed, even encouraged, to advertise around TV sport.
”If the fun stops stop “ - how can they get away with a slogan like that? You could come up with the same bullshit to justify dabbling in anything.
Of course a little bet can be a gateway into behaviours than can mess up your life. I found this out the hard way and it took a long time to get back on my feet.

"If the fun stops" is messaging that gambling is fun, fun, fun.

Disgraceful, really, to phrase the warning in this way.