Roulette Machines in the bookies

[kano]

Probably not the most helpful comment but im not sure if a payout percentage means its rigged.

That might be the average payout percentage of a roulette table in a casio....ultimately all these games of chance favour the house but there doesnt have to be specific programming in the machine to count money in/out for it to happen its just the nature of the games.

 

[Sheebo]

Stay well away fella - they're horrible things.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

weaker people must be totally hooked

If you think you're not hooked, then you need a reality check.

I've never been in a bookies in my life, but used to play machines in pubs (many, many years ago), but gave it up, and glad I did.

 

[SK1NT]

so bet everything your prepared to lose early and go for a big score of walk away !!!

Good shout.. i usually start off small hit a few numbers for 60p then start losing and gradually by stake goes from £3 a spin to £10... if i ever play again i will leave my card at home, only have the money im willing to lose in my pocket and prob had to big spins and see if im lucky....

 

[seagullondon]

Good shout.. i usually start off small hit a few numbers for 60p then start losing and gradually by stake goes from £3 a spin to £10... if i ever play again i will leave my card at home, only have the money im willing to lose in my pocket and prob had to big spins and see if im lucky....

I am surprised you still have any vcash left

 

[SK1NT]

Is it just me then... i know ive been stupid on occasions at bookies and i consider myself a well rounded person (not meaning im fat

Doesn't anyone else bet at all? I might start a poll...

 

[leigull]

I never bet big money on roulette and would only ever use small change on the roulette machines in bookies, £10-£20 online or up to £50 in a casino. But I used to find if I fancied a go on online roulette but couldn't really afford to lose the money, I'd play the free game until I lost the free credits and then the 'urge' to play for real was gone. Not sure if that'd work for everyone but it did for me.

 

[SK1NT]

I am surprised you still have any vcash left

me too... but only just noticed it there.... plus its the buzz of chasin real cash...

 

[Tricky Dicky]

plus its the buzz of chasin real cash...

The mantra of a losing gambler.

You can't win - get used to it. It sounds like even if you did scoop a decent amount, it would be back in the machine in no time. The old saying "only bet what you can afford to lose" is spot on.

 

[Mtoto]

Whether these machines are truly random is a moot point. I'm told the big bookies now run them from central servers, which means that if someone hits the "Spin" button on a machine in Cornwall and someone else hits it on the identical machine in Newcastle at exactly the same moment, they will get the same result, but of course, to the individual player, it looks - and, for practical purposes, is - random.

But what these machines are not is "fixed" by the bookies, at least in the sense that some people might mean, because there is simply no need for the bookies to fix them. The laws of mathematics guarantee them a small but inevitable percentage of the turnover (as low as 1pc in some cases), and there is no more chance of anyone making a clear profit in the long run than there is of the earth suddenly deciding to spin in the opposite direction.

In addition to being programmed by mathematicians who know exactly what they're doing, the machines are now such a major industry - and responsible on their own for keeping many betting shops open - that they are also designed by psychologists who know exactly what they're doing too. The lights, the noises, the immediate chance to chase your losses - these are all constructed and tweaked to keep people playing and maximise return. I've seen people who appear completely hypnotised by them, and all the time the machine is subtly suggesting that one more push of the button might just make all their troubles melt away...

For me, there is an obvious distinction between betting (racing, footie etc) and gaming, and the only casino-type game that's ever interested me at all is blackjack, because a clever player can beat it. Roulette & the rest leave me completely cold, because I know that the maths is unbeatable, and the same goes for the machines. There is, of course, an inbuilt profit margin for the bookie on the football too, but much less of a chance to "chase", since there's only one or two coupons a week. It's something you enjoy, and fun always has a price.

Whether you can separate the two and keep doing the footie acca on a Saturday, only you can ever know for sure, but the fact that you are honest enough to ask the question in the first place suggests that the answer could well be no.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

My grandfather set up the British Legion Club in Chirk in North Wales and every time I went in with him he'd pat one of the two Roulette machines on the top and say "best members this club's got".

Never understood the attraction myself - but they look like a mugs game.

 

[The_Viper]

I work in a bookies, I can assure you of the following.

1) Those machines are random, you can sit there and cry and moan and be sure in your head that you need to but in X% to get a payout but you don't. Nor do you have less chance of winning just after we empty them. Ridiculous concept tbh.

2) We do have ways of restricting customers. We have a self exclusion system, it's a very dodgy piece of ground to walk upon, I've spoke to one or two lads my age who are pissing away their student loan on the things and I have saidto one or two maybe they should just chill out and stop, you're putting in alot and I know how much loan we get, you can't afford that. It could so easily blow up in your face doing things like that but in my case they've both been cool, one actually did choose to self exclude himself and the other comes in alot less often.

3) Don't play what you can't afford to lose.

 

[cunning fergus]

Knock it on the head.

When you get to the point of talking about "chasing a loss" and/or "winning it back" you are on a very slippery and dangerous slope. You've got to stop NOW and seek help if required to do so.

Do all you can to remove the temptation from your life - don't visit bookies and, when you're out and about, only take an amount of cash that you know you need with you. Leave the plastic cards behind.

The elation of a win, particularly of making up a previous loss, feels great but the sickener of losing a serious wedge of cash is far stronger.

Good luck chap.

Ahhhhhhh..............the elation of a win..............I'm glad you mentioned that bit..............Sunderland's draw done me out of over 1k yesterday, Tidal Bay the day before...............I would give the punting game up myself..................but for the elation of a win.

 

[slimes]

if you do have a problem. take 30 pound to gamble, 20 p 40p s, if you win 50 cash out and youve made your profit (addiction is satisfied) till next week.if you lose 30 thats your lot...ive also lost hundreds chasing,its not worth it... or try the ladbrokes online..they have a freeplay game with 1000 pound play money.and see how long that lasts!! think its your own money and play that way

 

[SK1NT]

Some great advice guys... thanks.. I dont think im strong enough yet to knock it on the head cold turkey but i will never go into a bookies with more than a £20 on me or my bank card... thats a start isnt it

 

[Durlston]

They can ruin lives. I've seen it happen - the crack cocaine of gambling. Haven't played on one for nearly ten years now properly.

Edit: Just seen other people's posts on roulette machines, saying near enough the same thing.

 

[Brovion]

Great replies... Even today was tempted to try and win it back... because in the past i have had those £200 winners but also the £350 losers... I think of myself as quite strong and i may stay away from these horrible machines as i hate losing cash and cant afford too... however i do question how these bookies can have these machines... weaker people must be totally hooked and it really can destroy lives and families... I never ever go into a bookies without seeing at leats one person lose a few hundred...

.

I'm sorry to tell you this but you ARE one of the weaker people, you are not strong at all. There's no shame in that btw, but if even half of what you've said on this thread is true then you have got a problem and you need help. You will NEVER win at gambling. Never. Never. Never. Not on machines, horses, football, anything. A tiny tiny percentage of people can make a living from 'proper' gambling it, but they work on a small return, e.g. they expect to win around 2% on a series of linked bets. NO ONE can win on machines. If you continue to play them, even in a reduced way you will continue to lose money. Fine if you can afford it but you can't. So stop.

I would consider Gamblers Anonymous. Seriously.

 

[cunning fergus]

Some great advice guys... thanks.. I dont think im strong enough yet to knock it on the head cold turkey but i will never go into a bookies with more than a £20 on me or my bank card... thats a start isnt it

I will give you 4/6 that you fail...................no...................make that 4/9.

 

[Durlston]

Even as a Tottenham fan, I wish you all the best in trying to keep away from those evil machines, Brighton Boy.

 

[OzMike]

Pokie machines, as they call them here, are an epidemic.
Pubs and clubs are full of them and whilst the government is trying to introduce ways to curb this problem the machine makers and club owners are up in arms claiming they will go bust etc.
They won't even agree to the limit setting thing, they even advertise a $20 scratch card on TV! that's nearly 3 pints at my club.
Once they took the arm of the side that had to be pulled down to get the wheels to spin and introduced lots of flashing lights and stuff they lost me, far too complicated now.