Wee-Bey Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 39 minutes ago, NotThePars said: Matt Zarb-Cousins, a heavily active anti-FOBT campaigner, seems to think the talk of job losses is wildly over exaggerated. Even if they aren’t and I have to look for a new job then fine. They’re the worst part of the job and a blight on working class communities. Reducing the stakes to £2 will make roughly 30%-40% of high street shops unprofitable. That's potentially a lot of jobs at risk, especially small independents who struggle to compete with the big boys as it is. FWIW I am in no way a fan of these machines. I am well aware of the problems they cause for communities and shop staff. I just feel a more nuanced approach is required here rather than a drastic cut in stakes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cardinal Richelieu Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 Wasn't there a review a few months back where they put the limit down to £30? Hasn't really had an impact on Billy Hill's share price. Can't be arsed checking the others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 You can still lose a fortune betting £2 at a time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cardinal Richelieu Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 3 minutes ago, welshbairn said: You can still lose a fortune betting £2 at a time. You can. But a spin of roulette takes, say, 30 seconds before you can place your next £2. Therefore, if you're very unlucky, you can lose £240 an hour. That compares with the previous limit of £50 every 30 seconds (I think) = £6,000 an hour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Co.Down Hibee Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 3 minutes ago, welshbairn said: You can still lose a fortune betting £2 at a time. That's what I was thinking....surely problem gamblers will just play longer and lose the same amount. I remember reading a report saying that people are addicted to the actual playing of the machines as much as they are addicted to the idea of winning money, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wee-Bey Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 53 minutes ago, Cardinal Richelieu said: Wasn't there a review a few months back where they put the limit down to £30? Hasn't really had an impact on Billy Hill's share price. Can't be arsed checking the others. The government commissioned an independent review which recommended that they be reduced to 20 or 30 quid. The government has ignored this. Hills shares were down around 7% but seemed to have recovered a bit now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AyrExile Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 1 hour ago, Henderson to deliver ..... said: Reducing the stakes to £2 will make roughly 30%-40% of high street shops unprofitable. That's potentially a lot of jobs at risk, especially small independents who struggle to compete with the big boys as it is. FWIW I am in no way a fan of these machines. I am well aware of the problems they cause for communities and shop staff. I just feel a more nuanced approach is required here rather than a drastic cut in stakes. A few less betting shops on the high street will be a good thing as currently too many however the reduction to £2 is ridiculous. Would have capped it at £10 or slightly higher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayrmad Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 6 minutes ago, AyrExile said: A few less betting shops on the high street will be a good thing as currently too many however the reduction to £2 is ridiculous. Would have capped it at £10 or slightly higher. Nah,£2 is fine, a lot of people will be saved from a lot of havoc in their lives. I'm not bothered in the slightest about the jobs lost, they were only there because of the FBOT's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 They'll find another way to empty punters' pockets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotThePars Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 1 hour ago, Henderson to deliver ..... said: Reducing the stakes to £2 will make roughly 30%-40% of high street shops unprofitable. That's potentially a lot of jobs at risk, especially small independents who struggle to compete with the big boys as it is. FWIW I am in no way a fan of these machines. I am well aware of the problems they cause for communities and shop staff. I just feel a more nuanced approach is required here rather than a drastic cut in stakes. Speaking only from my experience in Ladbrokes that wouldn't mean that the staff in those 30/40% of shops would be let go. Large swathes of the company's shops are understaffed and shop closures would see a lot of shops staffed to their capacity. I only work four days at the moment through personal choice but the level of overtime on offer is unreal and I'm still working two open to close per week. Out of interest what would your nuanced approach be? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotThePars Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 4 minutes ago, ali_91 said: A decision based solely on pressure from the public who tend not to have any idea about the machines. The amount of people with gambling problems are almost exactly the same as they were 20 years ago, and I’d wager will hardly fall at all. What this will do is cost thousands of people their jobs and take away a vital social hub in dozens of towns across the country. People who think it’s just shops that are put in for the machines that will close are deluded, hundreds of shops that were profitable 20 years ago will not be anymore because of online gambling. It’s quite disappointing that campaigners who will take no personal responsibility for their addiction have led to the loss of thousands of jobs from people who have done nothing wrong and had no say in the matter, but there we are. A lot of those "social hubs" will be the shops that are profitable anyway. It's more likely to be the second or third shops in a high street or scheme that will be facing closures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparky88 Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 5 minutes ago, ali_91 said: The amount of people with gambling problems are almost exactly the same as they were 20 years ago, and I’d wager will hardly fall at all. Looks like you've found a new market for the betting companies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wee-Bey Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 8 minutes ago, NotThePars said: Speaking only from my experience in Ladbrokes that wouldn't mean that the staff in those 30/40% of shops would be let go. Large swathes of the company's shops are understaffed and shop closures would see a lot of shops staffed to their capacity. I only work four days at the moment through personal choice but the level of overtime on offer is unreal and I'm still working two open to close per week. Out of interest what would your nuanced approach be? A stake limit of £20. A membership/account card required to play. Alter the software so the games spin slower. An automatic time limit per gaming session. With the ability to further limit the time/stake via the membership card. Reducing shop opening hours. More time and money invested in staff with regards to responsible gambling. A requirement that the company puts a % of profit towards responsible gambling. Put an end to promotions and free spins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayrmad Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 32 minutes ago, ali_91 said: A decision based solely on pressure from the public who tend not to have any idea about the machines. The amount of people with gambling problems are almost exactly the same as they were 20 years ago, and I’d wager will hardly fall at all. What this will do is cost thousands of people their jobs and take away a vital social hub in dozens of towns across the country. People who think it’s just shops that are put in for the machines that will close are deluded, hundreds of shops that were profitable 20 years ago will not be anymore because of online gambling. It’s quite disappointing that campaigners who will take no personal responsibility for their addiction have led to the loss of thousands of jobs from people who have done nothing wrong and had no say in the matter, but there we are. I don't mind you having your view but don't post nonsense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gannonball Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 I was shocked to hear the tories have agreed to put it so low given the back handers they get off the gambling industry. Fair play to them on this one but @Henderson to deliver ..... Has covered some other potential restrictions, especially the promotional ones which encourage you to gamble more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sergeant Wilson Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 59 minutes ago, ali_91 said: A decision based solely on pressure from the public who tend not to have any idea about the machines. The amount of people with gambling problems are almost exactly the same as they were 20 years ago, and I’d wager will hardly fall at all. What this will do is cost thousands of people their jobs and take away a vital social hub in dozens of towns across the country. People who think it’s just shops that are put in for the machines that will close are deluded, hundreds of shops that were profitable 20 years ago will not be anymore because of online gambling. It’s quite disappointing that campaigners who will take no personal responsibility for their addiction have led to the loss of thousands of jobs from people who have done nothing wrong and had no say in the matter, but there we are. You could get the WI to chain themselves to the bookies door. "You've taken our library, our post office, but you will not take our Ladbrokes." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SweeperDee Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 Doesn’t go far enough really; they should be banned outright. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ICTChris Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41846126 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ICTChris Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 The number of bookmakers has remained pretty steady for the last few years. There are actually around half the number of bookies shops that there were in the 1960s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotThePars Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 1 hour ago, Henderson to deliver ..... said: A stake limit of £20. A membership/account card required to play. Alter the software so the games spin slower. An automatic time limit per gaming session. With the ability to further limit the time/stake via the membership card. Reducing shop opening hours. More time and money invested in staff with regards to responsible gambling. A requirement that the company puts a % of profit towards responsible gambling. Put an end to promotions and free spins. These are all good suggestions* and tbf things we've suggested before to higher brass. I think it's their inability to be really proactive (things such as membership cards to bypass 50+ stake restrictions exist but are easily circumvented) that's ultimately led to this. There's an increasing focus in shops on machine game of the week targets which is allegedly down to bookmakers trialing "gaming shops" which dispense with the otc betting and hence the restrictions on the number of machines in shops. *I'd fucking love a 6-8pm finish. It's a fucking a pain in the arse sitting to 10 because one person *might* come in for five minutes and spend a couple of hundred quid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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