Fudge Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Should we ban other addictive things such as alcohol and cigarettes? Should all casinos be shut down? Should casino sites and bookies sites that offer casino games be shut down? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SweeperDee Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Should we ban other addictive things such as alcohol and cigarettes? Should all casinos be shut down? Should casino sites and bookies sites that offer casino games be shut down? Well, we probably should but they contribute too much to the economy to actually make that plan actionable. Plus, who doesn't love a bevy? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Bairn Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 I hate FOBTs but I'm prone to a coupon and maybe a night at the casino 5-6 times a year playing minimum bet blackjack <<< Sub human scum 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fraser Fyvie Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Not if they are very sensitive to spikes in their dopamine levels in the brain. You experience a pleasurable event (such as winning a bet) then your brain produces dopamine which makes you feel good. Some people are particularly sensitive to this reward system, hence they crave that feeling of happiness by continually gambling on these machines (or any other form of gambling). To suggest that people can simply be educated and then stop participating is pretty naive. You can't underestimate the chemistry of addiction. It's the same as any drug really, the more your brain produces heightened levels of dopamine and other neurotransmitters associated with the reward system, you eventually build a tolerance of sorts. You have to increase your stakes in your gambling activity to get that same feeling of pleasure. Fair enough, maybe it is naive. I just find it amazing people can understand they're going to lose money yet continue to play these games day after day. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SweeperDee Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Fair enough, maybe it is naive. I just find it amazing people can understand they're going to lose money yet continue to play these games day after day. You'll find that those who can be considered "addicted" also have a clouded notion of luck and probability. You could argue that individuals should have it drilled into them that no FOBT is "lucky" or has any sort of predictable behaviours. Sadly, a common thought process in gambling addicts is "One more time, then I'll stop; it'll pay out this time anyway". Never works out most of the time though. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinkinFighter Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Some people take it too far so let's ban it. More nanny state bullshit. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SweeperDee Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Some people take it too far so let's ban it. More nanny state bullshit. I bet the folk who complain about the shed load of FOBT in bookies also complain about an increasingly nanny state. Seems like a bit of a contradiction to Fudge's post but the nanny state issue is a valid concern; we can't ban every single thing that could potentially become addictive. You can get addicted to quite literally anything. However I think there should be stricter regulations on how the terminals are operated (I don't really know how this can be done), but hey ho. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fudge Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Say between 10am and 10pm like alcohol? Is it just FOBT that are bad? What if these addicts just turn to 24 hr gambling available online? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SweeperDee Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Say between 10am and 10pm like alcohol? Is it just FOBT that are bad? What if these addicts just turn to 24 hr gambling available online? They probably participate in online gambling as well. There's no real easy answer to this issue unfortunately. I wish there was. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fudge Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Either ban addictive things or treat people who suffer addictive things. The answer is the latter. Otherwise, where does this crack down stop? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SweeperDee Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Either ban addictive things or treat people who suffer addictive things. The answer is the latter. Otherwise, where does this crack down stop? Well yeah, treating people who suffer from addictions is the best way to handle this. But, there's no money for it. There's literally zilch money floating about for mental health services in the UK, which is quite, well, troubling. So it seems, this issue will just perpetuate. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SweeperDee Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Online gambling gets a free press because it's behind closed doors. I'd hazard a guess that much more damage is done online than on the high street. Much quicker to lose money, less public and less control over alcohol. Absolutely btw. Shudder to think of the amount of money blown in online gambling. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parsforlife Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 The education point is a valid one IMO, I don't think i heard gambling addiction even suggested when I was at school. There are other ways to reduce it as well, such as increasing the time each game takes to play, which I believe has already been brought in IIRC. I question demonising fobt's entirely, are they actually more addictive or are addicts more likely to use them ?I'd like to see more analysis on them. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airdrie Onions Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 Well yeah, treating people who suffer from addictions is the best way to handle this. But, there's no money for it. There's literally zilch money floating about for mental health services in the UK, which is quite, well, troubling. So it seems, this issue will just perpetuate. There is money for it but the addicts keep giving it to bookies. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H_B Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 Fair enough, maybe it is naive. I just find it amazing people can understand they're going to lose money yet continue to play these games day after day. This isn't true. You aren't guaranteed to lose money playing FOBTs . Or roulette. Or the lottery. People win. People lose. Overall yes, the total amount put into the machines is greater than the amount taken out but that doesn't mean every individual loses. Quite obviously. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aufc Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 Silly addicts. Ruining everyones fun 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fraser Fyvie Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 (edited) This isn't true. You aren't guaranteed to lose money playing FOBTs . Or roulette. Or the lottery. People win. People lose. Overall yes, the total amount put into the machines is greater than the amount taken out but that doesn't mean every individual loses. Quite obviously. Well, no. Everyone playing roulette or FOBTs consistently over a number of years will lose money. Quite obviously. Edited July 23, 2015 by Fraser Fyvie 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawfield shed boy Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 Quick.Q. Are Fobts still barred from liverpool shops or did it fall through.... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry_Tibbs Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 More proof if it were needed that politicans don't live in the real world. You can place the same bets online so it won't make the blindest bit of difference. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross. Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 Online gambling gets a free press because it's behind closed doors. I'd hazard a guess that much more damage is done online than on the high street. Much quicker to lose money, less public and less control over alcohol. Going back 8 or 9 years when I worked for Clydesdale Bank, we would regularly be contacted by wives and business partners asking us to ban people from using their accounts or to restrict the use so that they couldn't pay money over to gambling firms. Some of the amounts were scary. The worst I've seen mind you was a guy who bankrupted himself via Financial Spread Trading, which is essentially just betting on the stock markets. He lost an 8 figure sum in the space of a year. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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