The Ladbrokes Life

[MEADOWXI]

15 hours ago, Jamaldo said:

Is it a law that bookmakers can't have windows or something?

 

14 hours ago, welshbairn said:

Most of them are plastered with posters suggesting mug bets.

Up until the change in law that saw the number of bookies on the High St go through the roof, it was illegal to advertise odds in the windows, and most windows were blanked out as you weren't allowed to see inside and what was going on (a bit like a Sex Shop),

 

Think it was only about 10-15 years ago it all changed. 

[TheScarf]

12 hours ago, Jamaldo said:

 

For some people there seems to be no end game. If I won £500 on a one-off bet I'd treat myself or save it, but some people go into "phree munney" mode and think they'll triple it with another bet and end up losing the lot and then try and win it back. Just get a grip.

 

Same.  I won £390 on a £20 acca at Christmas time last year and £350 of it was withdrawn immediately and used for spending money in London in June there.  Naturally the other £40 was spunked on other stupid bets that failed miserably at the time.

Guess I'm in the relaxed gambler category.  Wee spurts here and there, but no my limit and when to call it a day.

 

[Cream Cheese]

3 hours ago, ICTChris said:

Thinking of opening a bookies with a few of these FOBT, they sound a right money spinner.

I'd lose all of my money in my own bookies as well!

[AyrshireTon]

4 hours ago, ICTChris said:

Thinking of opening a bookies with a few of these FOBT, they sound a right money spinner.

Best do it in a high street arcade, that way you're not taxed up the arse and aren't required to ask the players if they want to stop.

[Karpaty]

15 hours ago, StandFree03 said:

There was a thread on here before about them, bookies make a huge % of their profits from FOBTs. You can spend something like 8 grand an hour on them if you do wanted. It's really fucked up.

There is a thread in the gambling forum where a poster (think it's mid-table) posted his session log where he was playing roulette I think it was. Some mental figures for the period of time he played, I'll try and find it.

edit: 

 

[Shandon Par]

My advice to budding punters is to follow Cowden scores. They love the occasional implosion..

 

[WullieBroonIsGod]

Rife for sponsoring football now too

Leagues - Ladbrokes

Scottish Cup - William Hill

League Cup - Betfred

 

 

 

 

[Louis Litt]

Self restricted from all the major bookies online before the Summer. Was only squandering the likes of £20 a week or something but as a student it was stupid to just chuck money away like that. The fact you need to deposit at least a fiver a time, which I'd eventually end up losing then repeating to chase a win becomes too repetitive and didn't look pretty on my bank statements. Don't feel any temptation to go in a shop and put anything on because they're generally depressing as f**k, have a lot more money to play with now so I don't regret it.

It's easy to see how folk get addicted, though. Those machines I see folk sitting at when I walk by a shop are depressing sights. 

[gc_smfc]

The Tote Sport on Great Western Road, down from Oran Mor was always pretty grim looking from the outside when it was open. 

[BFTD]

I'd never heard of FOBTs until I read about them on here. They sound like absolute money sinks.

I get the impression that the relaxation of gambling rules will lead to a regressive clampdown at some point. There's a whole generation who are growing up with blanket advertising that portrays gambling as glamorous, and something they should be doing on a regular basis, which is bound to lead to more folk with addictive personalities getting themselves into trouble. The only folk who've benefited from this are the bookies; there's no upside for the public. Nobody was wandering around wishing they knew where to gamble, if only some advertising would tell them where to go. Surely even the hardcore punters weren't crying out for looser rules on gambling; it struck me as one of the clearest examples of law being changed on the request of business with no consideration given to the rest of society.

That all probably reads like the ramblings of an old man TBH  

[Am Featha Taigh Nan Clach]

Although these FOBT are indeed the cause of many people's woes, I don't agree with limiting the number per shop or bet per hour amount.

People are responsible for their own actions and professional help should be an is available for those with a problem. It seems a bit nanny state like for my liking.

[Bobby Skidmarks]

It's fucking shocking how people are becoming hooked on those machines. They nearly Cost me my marriage 6 years ago. Blew my xmas bonus, lucky if I spent 20 quid on the wife's presents that year. Been to the GA meetings and never gambled or been in a bookies since.

Is this for real, Philpy?

[throbber]

Is this for real, Philpy?

3/1 on him being serious.

[Bobby Skidmarks]

3/1 on him being serious.

If it's a joke, I don't get the reference so may have been whooshed.

Philpy looks like a wee Puggy Jockey though.

[throbber]

If it's a joke, I don't get the reference so may have been whooshed.

Philpy looks like a wee Puggy Jockey though.

I always imagine him as the Wealdstone raider, with less teeth.

[BFTD]

28 minutes ago, Am Featha *****h Nan Clach said:

Although these FOBT are indeed the cause of many people's woes, I don't agree with limiting the number per shop or bet per hour amount.

People are responsible for their own actions and professional help should be an is available for those with a problem. It seems a bit nanny state like for my liking.

I may well be wrong. It wouldn't be the first time.

I'd tax the piss out of the bookmakers, at least. Don't know what they pay at the moment, but I'm fairly sure it won't be enough.

[WullieBroonIsGod]

1 hour ago, BigFatTabbyDave said:

I may well be wrong. It wouldn't be the first time.

I'd tax the piss out of the bookmakers, at least. Don't know what they pay at the moment, but I'm fairly sure it won't be enough.

Aren't most of them based in Gibraltar etc for tax purposes?

[Adam]

Is this for real, Philpy?

I remember it at the time, he did seem to have a major issue with gambling.

Roulette was my vice, absolutely gripped me when I had a spin. As I never had much money when I was a student so my losses were never massive, but what I could afford to bet, or any winnings I had, I would.

I went to GA for a while as a result, but wasn't for me. Works for some so don't like to slag it, but the feeling it gave me was basically swapping one addiction for another.

I still have a flutter now and then on the football or horses, and have slipped up a few times in the past with roulette, but would be my worst nightmare to get deep once again. Everyone who has been with me in the bookies/casino/on the laptop has always commented that I change completely when playing, nothing else matters apart from that spin.

Ended up in the casino a few months ago for a drink after a night out and I never had any inkling to have a punt, and I was smashed at the time too, so took that as a good sign, but know it will always be there for me.

[mizfit]

My pal lost so much money on the FOBT's, he mentioned briefly one night that he'd thrown away close to £2000 one year on them.

[BFTD]

20 minutes ago, WullieBroonIsGod said:

Aren't most of them based in Gibraltar etc for tax purposes?

f**k's sake  

9 minutes ago, Adam said:

I went to GA for a while as a result, but wasn't for me. Works for some so don't like to slag it, but the feeling it gave me was basically swapping one addiction for another.

 

Curious if Gamblers Anonymous has the same religious aspect as Alcoholics & Narcotics Anonymous - I understand a lot of their advice revolves around accepting that there's a God, and giving up control to your deity of choice. Sounds like something that would have a decent percentage of the population running for the hills.