[Football] Paul Merson: Football and Gambling. BBC 1

[FloatLeft]

Hard hitting program. I wonder how he feels with Sky and all the betting ads whilst he’s working. Understand he’s caught between a rock and a hard place, as he probably won’t get that salary anywhere else. Interesting it wasn’t brought up in the program.

Surprised he agreed to it.

 

[BN41Albion]

I ‘bet’ they don’t give a monkeys.

Tick the “When the fun stops ….” slogans, whilst reaping the colossal cash windfalls.

All advertising and sponsorship should be banned as soon as possible.

As Merson mentioned, those slogans such as 'when the fun stops...' etc. Who are they aimed at? The companies know full well those with problems can't just stop when the 'fun' stops. Ironic that he works for sky sports and they're a huge part of the problem. Jeff Stelling part of the adverts too. I don't know how he manages to do a day's work there without putting on a bet, to be fair

 

[Vin]

Surprised he agreed to it.

There you go. Such a shame. Sky probably low ball his salary as well.

 

[Weststander]

Hard hitting program. I wonder how he feels with Sky and all the betting ads whilst he’s working. Understand he’s caught between a rock and a hard place, as he probably won’t get that salary anywhere else. Interesting it wasn’t brought up in the program.

He needs to earn a living and Sky’s income is mainly as a broadcaster.

It wasn’t a tough hitting interview, questioning his personal morality, just an insight into gambling addiction.

 

[Jim Van Winkle]

Amazing that Gazza and Merson were housemates and both survived. What a receipt for disaster.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/paul-merson-reveals-dangerous-drinking-11329975

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

Interesting documentary in a world I know very little about. I do feel for people like Merson who have blown millions over the years.

Only loosely related - I'm an IT contractor and a few years back I was contacted by an agent for a role just up the road from me in Stoke-on-Trent. After a brief discussion and my suitability confirmed, the agent revealed the client was Bet365. I used the excuse of being an anti-gambler to turn the role down.

 

[cunning fergus]

Whats bloody scary with problem gambling compared to any other addiction is the sheer amount of money you can lose in a single day. Mind blowing really. I hadn't really realised how it effected addicts' mentally, either. Feel lucky to have never really been fussed about betting - always seen it as a mug's game but would never criticise those who do bet

You should open your eyes to other ways the mugs are parted from their money, comparatively speaking sports betting is like spending a Sunday with Auntie Beryl and Uncle Horace compared to day trading. And it’s getting worse.

https://www.streetdirectory.com/tra...he_illusion_of_profit_the_reality_losses.html

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/d...-guaranteed-slaughter-so-why-do-it-2020-06-30

https://marklyck.medium.com/why-80-of-day-traders-lose-money-78d51b10fe25

The day trading environment is full of mugs thinking it’s a way for quick money, however there is no social stigma for this cohort of mugs, or anger at the companies and platforms that provide this alternative avenue to potential misery and penury. It’s interesting how people rail against Bet365 and Paddy Power adverts, but don’t blink at eToro.

Maybe it’s because it’s predominantly the dumb working class that need to be helped, the dumb wealthy can lose their money on the markets without shame.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...hocked-by-son-s-quick-50-million-trading-loss

Reality is, those who are good at gambling or day trading (like Tony B) will be keeping themselves under control and won’t be crying on TV about their stupidity.

 

[Insel affe]

You should open your eyes to other ways the mugs are parted from their money, comparatively speaking sports betting is like spending a Sunday with Auntie Beryl and Uncle Horace compared to day trading. And it’s getting worse.

https://www.streetdirectory.com/tra...he_illusion_of_profit_the_reality_losses.html

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/d...-guaranteed-slaughter-so-why-do-it-2020-06-30

https://marklyck.medium.com/why-80-of-day-traders-lose-money-78d51b10fe25

The day trading environment is full of mugs thinking it’s a way for quick money, however there is no social stigma for this cohort of mugs, or anger at the companies and platforms that provide this alternative avenue to potential misery and penury. It’s interesting how people rail against Bet365 and Paddy Power adverts, but don’t blink at eToro.

Maybe it’s because it’s predominantly the dumb working class that need to be helped, the dumb wealthy can lose their money on the markets without shame.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...hocked-by-son-s-quick-50-million-trading-loss

Reality is, those who are good at gambling or day trading (like Tony B) will be keeping themselves under control and won’t be crying on TV about their stupidity.

Bit harsh, and implying the dumb working class can't control themselves implies it is pointless arguing with you.

I despair with this kind of attitude to people who can't help themselves and have other underlying issues that contribute to gambling issues, resulting in on average one person a day taking their lives.

Do they turn up the heating in trading rooms to confuse people, do they remove the clocks as they do in bookmakers ? Bookmakers use lots of sneaky tricks to keep punters in the shop or online with free spins and bets etc, the two are not comparable.

"a fool and his money are easily parted" is a very convenient phase probably first uttered by a wealthy politician or lord of the manor, with the emphasis on they deserve it because they are oik's.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Capitalism at its absolute worst. These bookies have the ‘right’ to maximise their profits. Wetherspoons are the equivalent to alcoholics.

It doesn’t sit that comfortably with me that TB has made a lot of his money via this industry.

He's a statistician not a bookie. He's focused on a very bespoke solution for the world's richest men. I can live with that

http://www.wearebrighton.com/newsop...ooms-journey-to-become-a-professional-bettor/

 

[Soton Seagull]

Some great contextual advertising at the top of NSC this morning, offering a trading account with trades 'from only £2.95'!

 

[stss30]

Capitalism at its absolute worst. These bookies have the ‘right’ to maximise their profits. Wetherspoons are the equivalent to alcoholics.

It doesn’t sit that comfortably with me that TB has made a lot of his money via this industry.

Whilst that is true, as far as I understand it the vast majority of Tony's wealth has come from extremely well researched handicap betting and not primarily from owning bookies & preying on these vulnerable people.

I'm sure he could easily secure BHAFC a lucrative sponsor in the gambling sector with his contacts (like many other Premier League clubs have), however we have still remained loyal to American Express. Again a touch of class imo, whilst Benham has jumped at the chance to take the gambling cash with Brentford.

 

[Weststander]

Whilst that is true, as far as I understand it the vast majority of Tony's wealth has come from extremely well researched handicap betting and not primarily from owning bookies & preying on these vulnerable people.

I'm sure he could easily secure BHAFC a lucrative sponsor in the gambling sector with his contacts (like many other Premier League clubs have), however we have still remained loyal to American Express. Again a touch of class imo, whilst Benham has jumped at the chance to take the gambling cash with Brentford.

TB has substantial commercial property and land interests, his wealth isn’t based solely on the gambling syndicate/Starlizard.

 

[highflyer]

He's a statistician not a bookie. He's focused on a very bespoke solution for the world's richest men. I can live with that

http://www.wearebrighton.com/newsop...ooms-journey-to-become-a-professional-bettor/

From Wikipedia: Bloom is believed to have accumulated wealth through developing online gambling and gaming websites, and through property and start-up investments.

I have no specific knowledge, but that would fit with what I've always assumed.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Whilst that is true, as far as I understand it the vast majority of Tony's wealth has come from extremely well researched handicap betting and not primarily from owning bookies & preying on these vulnerable people.

I'm sure he could easily secure BHAFC a lucrative sponsor in the gambling sector with his contacts (like many other Premier League clubs have), however we have still remained loyal to American Express. Again a touch of class imo, whilst Benham has jumped at the chance to take the gambling cash with Brentford.

This.

But someone will nevertheless be along in a minute to say there's no smoke without fire.

Back on topic, if one person (and at least one has stepped forward on this thread to admit they) have learned from the programme that gambling can be an addiction rather than simply foolishness, then the programme was worthwhile.

 

[highflyer]

Whilst that is true, as far as I understand it the vast majority of Tony's wealth has come from extremely well researched handicap betting and not primarily from owning bookies & preying on these vulnerable people.

I stand to be corrected by anyone with real knowledge, but I suspect that is unlikely

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

From Wikipedia: Bloom is believed to have accumulated wealth through developing online gambling and gaming websites, and through property and start-up investments.

I have no specific knowledge, but that would fit with what I've always assumed.

I saw that too. But there is no evidence whatsoever that he owns Bet365 or any such equivalent. The Wiki page for Bloom is conspicuous by its lack of detail and clarity.

The link I posted gives a better and more coherent description of his trajectory.

 

[stss30]

From Wikipedia: Bloom is believed to have accumulated wealth through developing online gambling and gaming websites, and through property and start-up investments.

I have no specific knowledge, but that would fit with what I've always assumed.

Wikipedia, that ever reliable source .

I think the truth is, no one will ever fully know the ins and outs of where TB has made & continues to make his money, as he keeps all of his dealings very private. However, his current core business deals with strategic statistical analysis of betting, & so I think it's fair to assume that's where the majority of his wealth has come from. You don't transition from developing websites to having an intrinsic knowledge of the betting markets, unless his web development was the coding of the betting odds on certain websites..

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I stand to be corrected by anyone with real knowledge, but I suspect that is unlikely

That doesn't justify [MENTION=25249]Milano[/MENTION]'s condemnation. It was quite unfair.

I get a bit fed up with the glasshouse/stones argument. It is used by both sides - to exonerate everything or to condemn everything, escalating very quickly to whataboutery, with the inevitable result that what needs to be done isn't done.

I am immune to the lure of betting but the constant bombardment on TV when the football is on can't be right.

I get that gambling is legal, but I suspect that it's time that the gambling account should be legally linked to the bank account with a finite limit on 'spending'. The days of rocking up to the bookies with a pocket full of cash should be finished. I appreciate that no other human activity is regulated like this, but it is the only way to prevent catestrophically harmful gambling. And there is literally nothing to lose by harsh intervention like this.

As for the advertising itself, yes the po-faced 'when it stops being fun, stop' messages are nauseating. It's like putting up ads for porn with the solemn message that if you **** too much you may go blind.

 

[highflyer]

I saw that too. But there is no evidence whatsoever that he owns Bet365 or any such equivalent. The Wiki page for Bloom is conspicuous by its lack of detail and clarity.

The link I posted gives a better and more coherent description of his trajectory.

I don't really want to get into this disussion in detail, at least not here on NSC. But that link only tells part of a story (some rather obvious gaps) and is hardly unbiased in terms of where it's published. All I would say is he's a fantastic Chairman and owner and seems like a very decent guy at a personal level. But let's not be naive.

It's not like being owned by Saudi Arabia, but I'd stll prefer my football to come with fewer links to big money - wherever that money comes from. And at the levels required to compete in the PL, it's never going to be sparkly clean.

 

[chaileyjem]

You can watch the Paul Merson doc via BBC iPlayer
https://nortr3nixy.nimpr.uk/showthread.php?390726-Paul-Merson-Football-and-Gambling-BBC-1

Here's the blurb

Over the past 35 years, former Arsenal and England footballer Paul Merson has gambled away a fortune. In this programme, he sets out to understand why his life has been so badly blighted by gambling and explores the relationship between football and gambling at a time when it has never been more urgent to question the industry’s place in the world of sport.

Now on the path to recovery, he wants to understand what caused his addiction. Could it be the way his brain is wired, his environment or both. Paul sets out to meet old teammates, scientists and psychologists to see if he can get close to finding the answer. He starts by meeting former Arsenal teammate Wes Reid. When they received their first pay cheques as Arsenal trainees, Paul and Wes went to the bookies, and Paul lost his entire week’s wages in 15 minutes, kicking off a 35-year struggle with gambling.

Paul also meets footballers Keith Gillespie, John Hartson and Scott Davies, who between them gambled away £15 million, and he visits the families of three men who took their own lives as a result of gambling addiction. At Imperial College London, he talks to Dr David Erritzoe, a consultant psychiatrist whose team of researchers are mapping the brain, trying to pinpoint the neurobiological basis of gambling addiction so that new treatments can be developed.

As the government considers whether gambling laws should be reformed to protect those addicted to gambling, Paul wonders if an entire generation of young Brits is at risk of following the same dangerous path that he trod. Advertising and sponsorship by betting firms has exploded in recent years, with more than a third of English Premier League clubs promoting gambling companies on their shirt.