G STAR RAM Posted October 17, 2016 Share Posted October 17, 2016 8 hours ago, GeneralRam said: What is it that you do? My first job out of uni was programming FOBT games. I work on the financial side rather than anything technical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G STAR RAM Posted October 17, 2016 Share Posted October 17, 2016 8 hours ago, Mafiabob said: I'm not against them. End of the day a bets a bet to me. The bookies have to make money. It's me who has the problem with gambling. It was me who was using my cash to gamble. No one forced me too. Its why I can't ever back campaigns to ban them etc. Only thing I would change is better regulation with adverts. After 9pm etc. Part 6 of my vlog would be best for you to listen to I guess that people who want to bet will find anything to bet on? The FOBTs are pretty much how they are described though...the crack cocaine of the high street. It cannot be right to go in a bookies and seeing people queuing up to play them. Adult Gaming Centres, that have much stricter licensing regulations, are not allowed these machines in them. As GeneralRam has said, they are not even in there to make the bookies an extra bit of money, they are purely the reason that most high street bookies still exist. I find it quite sad walking down a high street and seeing so many bookies in close proximity knowing that they are only there for them machines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boycie Posted October 17, 2016 Share Posted October 17, 2016 7 hours ago, GeneralRam said: What do you mean? I only know of one restriction which is that bookies are only allowed to have 4 FOBT terminals within a building. That's why you see multiple bookies on the high street, so they can fit more of these machines in there. You have better odds at winning the lottery than the £500 jackpot in some of these games (although more little wins are paid to offset this obviously). I remember listening to somebody saying they ought to stop bookies putting the machines by the entrance/exit. kind of a final temptation as you walk out if you like, a last chance to finally get back ahead. Seem like it's a maximum of 4 then. But I guess I doesn't really matter where they place them tbh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralRam Posted October 17, 2016 Share Posted October 17, 2016 1 hour ago, Boycie said: I remember listening to somebody saying they ought to stop bookies putting the machines by the entrance/exit. kind of a final temptation as you walk out if you like, a last chance to finally get back ahead. Seem like it's a maximum of 4 then. But I guess I doesn't really matter where they place them tbh. What I think the bookies should do is only allow people to bet if you are a member. That way you can easily exclude yourself from the bookies if needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mafiabob Posted October 17, 2016 Share Posted October 17, 2016 3 hours ago, G STAR RAM said: I guess that people who want to bet will find anything to bet on? The FOBTs are pretty much how they are described though...the crack cocaine of the high street. It cannot be right to go in a bookies and seeing people queuing up to play them. Adult Gaming Centres, that have much stricter licensing regulations, are not allowed these machines in them. As GeneralRam has said, they are not even in there to make the bookies an extra bit of money, they are purely the reason that most high street bookies still exist. I find it quite sad walking down a high street and seeing so many bookies in close proximity knowing that they are only there for them machines. To pick up @GeneralRam later point about self excluding. It's a extremely hard thing to do. It varies from bookie to bookie regarding length of time etc. From every 6 months to up to 3 years approximately. Problem is if you're a compulsive gambler and you got the time, opportunity and money to do so then you're gonna go straight back in. What does the staff do? Would they remember? Is it worth the just above minimum wage people (only usually 1 or 2) to confront? The bookies do have an obligation and I'm sure it's against the law to serve a excluded/banned gambler. Regarding FOBTs, yes they are a massive money maker..... but for me personally I can't blame one form of gambling. If I really want a bet and the barriers are down and not in place..... I will gamble. We can't just ban certain things. Drugs are illlegal, but I'd imangine if someone really wants heroin they'll know where to go and get it. Up to the individual at the end of the day to stop. I have only myself to blame. It was me who did it, no one forced me to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G STAR RAM Posted October 17, 2016 Share Posted October 17, 2016 1 hour ago, Mafiabob said: To pick up @GeneralRam later point about self excluding. It's a extremely hard thing to do. It varies from bookie to bookie regarding length of time etc. From every 6 months to up to 3 years approximately. Problem is if you're a compulsive gambler and you got the time, opportunity and money to do so then you're gonna go straight back in. What does the staff do? Would they remember? Is it worth the just above minimum wage people (only usually 1 or 2) to confront? The bookies do have an obligation and I'm sure it's against the law to serve a excluded/banned gambler. Regarding FOBTs, yes they are a massive money maker..... but for me personally I can't blame one form of gambling. If I really want a bet and the barriers are down and not in place..... I will gamble. We can't just ban certain things. Drugs are illlegal, but I'd imangine if someone really wants heroin they'll know where to go and get it. Up to the individual at the end of the day to stop. I have only myself to blame. It was me who did it, no one forced me to. And for me, your first point is a major concern. All bookies should be playing by the same rules and there should be a nationwide database covering self exclusions. As @GeneralRam said, why not make bookies introduce a membership scheme and people can only gain entry with cards? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Le Mesmer Posted October 17, 2016 Share Posted October 17, 2016 Inspirational stuff mafiabob and I can relate to much of it having gambling challenges myself. I still bet more than I should, every day in fact but it's not the whole months family budget which used to happen regularly. I guess i'm like a smoker who has gone from 40 a day to 10 a day. For me it's just really football and horses. Never felt compelled to use fruit machines or online poker / casinos. I always believed that they can be manipulated to make sure you don't win as opposed to say sticking a hundred quid on a game of football whereby it's 11 v 11 and the outcome is not pre-determined. Well, maybe in some countries they are...... but I won't go there. Through online football betting I've used it so much and bet on so many completely random obscure teams that I can name every team in the entire Faroe Islands football league! Believe me, being awake at 1 in the morning and looking at a screen to see if Sport Boys Warnes U19's can score in the first half against The Strongest U19's in Bolivia isn't glamourous. Nor am I at that time in the morning either. Or at any time of day come to that. The critical thing for me that I've had to accept and get my head around is the 'victim mentality - why me - it always happens' way of thinking and with betting that used to be numerous times every day. The number of injury time equalisers you have to deal with when betting is insane. I reckon for every last minute goal you get that WINS you a bet, there will be 20 or more that ensure you LOSE a bet. It's actually unnerving at a times, even though i'm not religious, I have thought there was someone up there making all this bad luck for me. It's true of horse racing too. You have an each way first 3 bet and by and large your horse comes 4th. The amount of times it happens is crazy. In photo finishes too. For every one that goes your way, there are dozens that don't. I got that worked up once about a jockey called Kevin Darley in a race at Lingfield that I contacted the Sun newspaper as I had seriously considered suing him under the non tryers rule in a race at Lingfield. It was this incident that finally made me realise that this was just how it was and most of the time the gambler will be unlucky and lose his money and to not get too bothered about it. I'd had a placepot at Lingfield, which is a bet whereby in the first 6 races you can pick a horse (s) that you think will get placed. So if the race has 4 runners or less your selection has to win, if there are more than 4 and less than 8 then it's first 2, more than 8 and less than 16 it's first 3 and if it's a handicap of 16 or more it's first 4. Generally people pick the more fancied horses to get placed so by and large each race that passes where the fancied horses don't get placed then it does knock out a lot of tickets leaving a much bigger winning dividend at the end. I'd got to the last race and in previous races there were horses at massive prices filling the places and many favourites not in the frame. It's the last race and I have 3 different horses so surely I am bound to get one of them placed? Anyway, I discover that all three horses are non runners. When this happens, you automatically get the favourite by default. So now I don't have 3 chances to win but they are all on the one horse. A horse ridden by Kevin Darley which i'd left out of my selections in the first place as I didn't fancy it. Anyway, coming into the final straight this horse was infront and was starting to get tired and hang on. It got passed by another horse so fair enough, I only want it in the first three. It looked nailed on. The jockey, once passed, stopped riding the horse in the last half furlong and it just eventually got pipped and finished 4th. I was angry a bit but I then checked the dividend and the return for my horse finishing third would have been just shy of 50 grand. I literally couldn't sleep for a week, just going over in my head all sorts of emotions and anger. Not good. It was then I realised that betting should be taken at face value and done for fun. I still do get a bit frustrated and carried away but I try and not let it have such am impact on my life and mental state because it can do. Many times when you've lost a bet your mood instantly drops and you might get mardy with your family or go and get some booze and it affects your mental state so much. I have so much admiration for people like Mafiabob who are accepting the problem and trying to do something about it whilst at the same time still struggling. It's tough. Dig in there. As regards the FOBT. I knew all the blokes and lasses who work in the bookies and they tell me that these machines keep the shops open now. There are the new ones too which do sports betting and not just fruit machines. The one thing that does my nut in though is the saturation of sports tv / radio / sports teams merchandise / advertising by gambling companies. Every which way you turn someone like one dimensional cockney 'actor' (use that term very loosely indeed) is encouraging you to have a bet. They can't advertise tobacco and in many cases alcohol but it's ok to encourage people to gamble? I'm in two minds about this because, similar to the thread that talks about offence and the Jimmy Saville chants, you could argue that advertising fast food chains encourages people to eat complete sh*te and thus gain weight and become unhealthy so where do you draw the line without just allowing people personal responsibility to make their own choices but I certainly feel that betting advertisements are way out of control and should be banned or at least restricted. Sorry all, very long post here but a lot to say but finally i'd like to ask if anyone has the following problem................. Nowadays i'm watching a game on the telly but i'm also checking my livescores site every 30 seconds as I've got bets on so I cannot really appreciate or get engrossed in the live match i'm actually watching. I'm just sort of dipping in and out of both and not becoming immersed in the game and relaxed like I used to do years ago before this betting and internet explosion kicked off. I see it at football grounds to like the iPro, people checking their phones every 5 minutes for score updates and at half time completely ignoring the person (s) they are sat with just so they can whip out their phones and bet or check bet status / scores. I must admit I am a tad guilty of this but only slightly. What I do now quite regularly is have bets but I don't check any scores or results until I get settled down to watch the football shows on Saturday nights and it's just like the old days. Not knowing any of the results until you watch all the highlights is simplistically satisfying and that's been taken away from us now I feel. Believe me, going through a Saturday trying not to uncover any news or results is more difficult than it sounds. Information is everywhere. Anyway, thanks for reading I guess and best of luck Bob in your challenge and respect for the vlog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mafiabob Posted October 17, 2016 Share Posted October 17, 2016 29 minutes ago, G STAR RAM said: And for me, your first point is a major concern. All bookies should be playing by the same rules and there should be a nationwide database covering self exclusions. As @GeneralRam said, why not make bookies introduce a membership scheme and people can only gain entry with cards? Something I agree with. Problem is the logistics of it unfortunately. It means the bookies spending more money to help the 300,000 or so addicts (last count about a decade ago so I'd double it) not gamble. Fortunately 99% of people have control. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mafiabob Posted October 17, 2016 Share Posted October 17, 2016 Thank you @Tony Le Mesmer for your kind words. What you described there about betting on Faroe Island league games etc is a common theme nowadays..... so accessible and can bet on anything. I know one guy who used to bet on Chinese badminton league..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Le Mesmer Posted October 17, 2016 Share Posted October 17, 2016 8 minutes ago, Mafiabob said: Thank you @Tony Le Mesmer for your kind words. What you described there about betting on Faroe Island league games etc is a common theme nowadays..... so accessible and can bet on anything. I know one guy who used to bet on Chinese badminton league..... I shouldn't laugh but just like you say. Highlights the fact that anything can be bet on and also how ridiculous it all is. I've even betted on the Eurovision once but don't tell anyone or i'll never live it down.............. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mafiabob Posted November 20, 2016 Share Posted November 20, 2016 Part 8 of my vlog about my journey through gambling addiction, enjoy ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Le Mesmer Posted November 21, 2016 Share Posted November 21, 2016 17 hours ago, Mafiabob said: Part 8 of my vlog about my journey through gambling addiction, enjoy ? Good to hear you are still holding it all together Bob. Keep at it man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mafiabob Posted December 21, 2016 Share Posted December 21, 2016 Part 9 now up to view. All other parts on my YouTube channel. Talking about responsibility, and why I wouldn't ban certain ways to gamble..... as I believe it would selfish and dangerous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mafiabob Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Comments like this makes doing this Vlog all the more worthwhile. ☺☺ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GboroRam Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Found out my ex boss got sentenced to 2 and a half years prison for stealing nearly 200k worth of iPhones and ipads to feed his gambling addiction. From a fifty grand a year job to complete crash. His story is pretty desperate. Great bloke caught by an addiction. http://m.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/174-000-shoreline-fraud-gambling-consumed-life/story-25996207-detail/story.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mafiabob Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 1 hour ago, GboroRam said: Found out my ex boss got sentenced to 2 and a half years prison for stealing nearly 200k worth of iPhones and ipads to feed his gambling addiction. From a fifty grand a year job to complete crash. His story is pretty desperate. Great bloke caught by an addiction. http://m.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/174-000-shoreline-fraud-gambling-consumed-life/story-25996207-detail/story.html Nothing else matters when you're in the grip of the addiction, not about the money..... just about getting that buzz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Day Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 6 hours ago, GboroRam said: Found out my ex boss got sentenced to 2 and a half years prison for stealing nearly 200k worth of iPhones and ipads to feed his gambling addiction. From a fifty grand a year job to complete crash. His story is pretty desperate. Great bloke caught by an addiction. http://m.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/174-000-shoreline-fraud-gambling-consumed-life/story-25996207-detail/story.html Small world, used to play football on Friday dinners with a few Shoreline workers and he used to play, he's got some kind of food van thing now the last I heard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davenportram Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 It's the silent addiction, hidden, no physical symptoms, no obvious signs anything is wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GboroRam Posted December 24, 2016 Share Posted December 24, 2016 21 hours ago, Mafiabob said: Nothing else matters when you're in the grip of the addiction, not about the money..... just about getting that buzz I find the whole scenario bizarre. I know without being in that place I'll never understand but to be gambling with money you shouldn't have and be unable to do anything with it if you win except just gamble it again until you're so deep in a hole there's no way out...is frankly mental. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davenportram Posted December 24, 2016 Share Posted December 24, 2016 2 hours ago, GboroRam said: I find the whole scenario bizarre. I know without being in that place I'll never understand but to be gambling with money you shouldn't have and be unable to do anything with it if you win except just gamble it again until you're so deep in a hole there's no way out...is frankly mental. It is, which is why it's slowly being recognised as a mental illness as well as physical addiction due the chemicals released into the body during gambling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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