The betting thread below has prompted me to post this

If you have an online betting account (or several, as is often the case), just go into the personal stats section, and have a look at how much you've spent this year.

I did this last year, and was alarmed at what I saw. It prompted me to close my accounts, and I feel much better for it. I don't miss it in the slightest.

 

Good for you mate. The little disclaimer they add is disingenuous: 'when the fun stops, stop'. For many of course, when the fun has stopped it's too late. The same could apply to cigarettes, alcohol and crack cocaine. The betting companies cover themselves legally but in reality they don't give a sh*t, as long as they're getting £££ off people they're happy. And so many lives are ruined. I realise many people like a flutter and it doesn't get that far, but as an industry it stinks.

 

I've never had one. I've 2-3 close friends who've (in different ways) lost the lot through it.

I'D RECOMMEND ANYONE TO LISTEN TO EX-FOOTBALLER MATT ETHERINGTON (EX SPURS WEST HAM) INTERVIEW ON TALKSPORT YESTERDAY.

It had me in tears thinking of what I've seen my mates go thro.

"I was on 30k a week. I was driving my Aston Martin DB9 which I couldn't afford. I'd 12 quid left in my life and no fuel left. But decided to go to the bookies. I lost. Ran out of fuel on the way home. Had to leave the car there for days."

Disclaimer. I've loads of mates who love a bet within reason. Regardless the interview is excellent listening in a strange way.

 

Yes, it has been a serious evil to many of my fiends. Some gone.

 

I worked in a bookies many years ago. We had a regular customer who was a professional rugby league player. He would play all 4 roulette machines at once when there was nobody in. He used our shop, as he was often recognised more at his local shop, and had people stood watching him which he didn't like.

You're able to see how much money has gone into the machines from behind the counter. I'd noticed he'd put in £1800 within 40 minutes across 4 machines. When his final spin was unsuccessful, he walked out, white as a sheet.

24 hours later he came back in. Came to the counter and asked if he could deposit using his card. I asked him if he was sure, considering how much he'd spent the day before, but he said he was. That's all we could do really, was ask them if they were sure. He deposited £20 on each machine. 2 hours later, he walked out with £4,000 in cash.

I'm not into rugby, so I don't know how much a super league player might have been warning back then, but I'd guess that he'd staked more than a weeks wage in those 2 days.

 

I'm £12.58 up this year!

Seriously though it's a massive evil and I've seen mates getting into serious debt over it and the Wifes cousin divorced her husband over it.

 

£670 in credit.

FOBT's are the devil though. But sports betting is a skill.

 

I once lost 20 quid having a poo,It was a dog race at Sheffield got a tip for trap 2 a fast starter,just so happened the race started as I was busting for a number 2, is that irony or coincidence, anyway the dog was slow away and my money was lost before I even heard a splash,smart phones are the curse of anyone who bets at one time you had to make effort to go to the bookies,least it limited your time you could bet

 

Not something I do.

Mate of mine got himself into around 10k of debt online gambling. Not good.

 

One of my mates lost his mum. He'd just got married and was with child. He always liked a bet. 30-40k inheritance which is a lovely legacy to start a new life. His job meant he finishes at 1-2pm. Milked the lot in 6 months. Equivalent of 2-3 years salary. She divorced him for lying as he covered it all up.

 

I used to like those roulette machines, once put 1 pound in one and ended up with nearly a thousand pound, be impossible to do that on horses, know they had to go but just forced problem online IMHO

 

Very sad story that,hope he in better place now with his problem

 

I know I shouldn't make light of that but when I read your first sentence I thought he'd gambled his mum away.

 

The only betting I will really do is a couple of quid on the grand national, the occasional free bet that pops up on things and I've been to the horses and dogs about 3 times in my life where I drew out a certain amount of money from my bank (about £70 I think) and that was my spending money for the evening, drink food and bets. If I spent it it was money I'd decided was worth the entertainment for the evening. If I won anything it was a bonus. I didn't win a thing in all 3 goes I don't think.

I never go on the slot machines in arcades or at pubs because I don't like the idea that it's all just chance.

I'm a bit boring really (I know, what a surprise) but I just don't get enjoyment out of gambling

 

The sad thing is, by forcing shops to limit how much you can spend on those machines, the only people who have lost out, are the people working in betting shops. Loads of jobs have been lost, and as you say, it's well easy to play those machines online. At 3 of the 4 shops I was based in have closed since I left 7 years ago.

 

Its not.

I used to fish with a kid from just outside Redcar.

By the time he was 30 he had paid in cash for a massive house fleet of cars and he lives the life of kings.

Never worked a day in his life.

All the yards around there knew when the ringers were going in. Which long odds were worth a shot etc in the local courses.

It was and ill have to check with him easy money.

Greyhounds were the same.

 

best way to be, I was involved in gambling from the age of 2 or 3 ,my earliest memories are being in the back of the van bouncing around with about 6 greyhounds, can see one at my eye level in my minds eye, fawn with a black muzzle, used to marvel at the sights and sounds, the coloured jackets, smells of hotdog van, never stood a chance really,loved my dad but he should not have involved me,never took my son to dogs or racing , his step granddad took him on temple of tickets at coast and times I been there you can tell he could have it in his make up, lets hope he doesn't get involved or is disciplined like DEETEE friend

 

my dad paid for our first house back in the 60s after being told of a coup, where the 2nd fav was going to win, and the rest of the northern jockeys were going to block in the favourite that was coming up from down south, he was well in with a stable at Malton, not many can be so disciplined though to only bet as and when your in the know

 

sensible stuff, a working man should only be betting in pounds