I started a similar thread around 6 months ago on these machines and I'm glad they are now in the spotlight in the politics World.
I have a relative of mine (my old man) who spend around £20k over a 12 month period on these machines. Luckily he took the option of help rather than doing something drastic. Only since becoming clean has he now released his stupidity and seen the situation from a different perspective.
These machines are nothing but evil in EVERY sense of the word. I know people who work in bookmakers and I even know someone who worked as part of the company who has developed them. They are extremely high tech pieces of kit that are linked to a centralized computer system that communicates with a data center. Everything can be measured on them. The guy behind the counter knows exactly the ones paying out, how much money it's taken in and knows these are the money makers for the bookies.
When I place my football accumy on I see countless streams of 18 year olds on them. I constantly see people playing £100 a spin games. I have seen countless people putting a wedge of cash in them; one guy 2 weeks ago actually picked up a stool and smashed three of them out of pure frustration.
Some of the responses from my previous thread are 'people should control themselves' or 'people should know when to stop'... easy to say my friends but this is something you will never understand unless you have seen/done it firsthand.
Gambling VERY easily can turn into an addiction in the right environment and circumstances. It has been linked to a similar addiction to nicotine. People (many) lose families, houses and friends through these machines and what's the government doing? Supporting them as a source of income.
You can't go to a football game these days without being flooded with betting adverts. You can't flick over on TV at night without seeing a roulette wheel. What's this showing the younger generation?
America has banned online gambling for a reason. I also had a spell of gambling to which I have learnt from my father’s mistakes and closed all online betting accounts and now do £20 on a Saturday on the football when I can be bothered.
Gambling should not be easily accessible. It should require effort in making a person need to go to somewhere like a casino where they have to dress up and register to bet. Being allowed to blow £10,000 in a couple of hours on your local high street or in the comfort of your own home should be impossible.
People might say "well you can blow £10k on buying a TV online so what's the difference?" The difference is you gamble in the hope of making profit. It's incremental. It's a buzz. Ask anyone who has every gambled away more than their original intentions and they will respond in a similar manner or feeling depressed, idiotic and a need to try again at a later stage to try and recoup their loss.
All I can say is my middle finger goes to the bookies, the government and anyone who supports gambling as a good form of income to this country. It's a discussing business that feeds on the vulnerable and turns a blind eye to all the damage is causes.
Advice from me; do NOT touch them and warn others.
