buddie06smfc Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 Having never played these before, I decided to have a go in November and that turned into quite a regular occurrence. I won about £600, having started with £80. I also had a couple of decent wins of around £200-£300. I then lost £200 in 2 days and quite a few other heavy losses. Since I started playing the machines, I'm probably down overall. I chased losses a lot, even got to the point where the bank wasn't letting me withdraw any more money. Mugs game, with me being the mug. They are horribly addictive. I've vowed not to go back and so far so good. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lex Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 Before I put you on ignore, roulette has an overround 2.78%. Fruit machines on the FOBTs have an overround of 8.7%. Your average shop football coupon has an overround of 12.5%. An average horse race at SP has an overround of about 25%. In terms of forms of gambling, roulette offers some of the most decent returns available in terms of value. It's because it's a high turnover activity that the losses from it are so high. The only betting I can think of that has a better rate of return is blackjack, and betting against your mates. Even an absolute 100% book on betfair with 3 outcomes all at 2/1 has an overround of 3.45% with a 5% commission rate. If you're looking for pure odds find a craps table ( or dice ) and play the odds behind the pass line. The casino has no edge at all there. Having never played these before, I decided to have a go in November and that turned into quite a regular occurrence. I won about £600, having started with £80. I also had a couple of decent wins of around £200-£300. I then lost £200 in 2 days and quite a few other heavy losses. Since I started playing the machines, I'm probably down overall. I chased losses a lot, even got to the point where the bank wasn't letting me withdraw any more money. Mugs game, with me being the mug. They are horribly addictive. I've vowed not to go back and so far so good. Good luck. It's very easy to regress, particularly when you are in the bookies for something else or with a mate and a tenner to kill time quickly turns into 100 down. Staying out the places entirely seems to be the strategy, for me anyway. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
54_and_counting Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 You never see a poor bookie, that tells you just how bad these things are I had a mild addiction to fruit machines about a decade ago, managed to get over it but still cost me quite a bit overall to the point i was using my student overdraft to gamble, but if these fbot's were around back then god knows how bad i would have got 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vikingTON Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 You never see a poor bookie, that tells you just how bad these things are No it doesn't. Putting seven-team accumulators on every weekend is a great way to hand over money to the bookies, but I don't see the hand-wringing and outrage about that. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fanny paddery Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 [/size] No it doesn't. Putting seven-team accumulators on every weekend is a great way to hand over money to the bookies, but I don't see the hand-wringing and outrage about that. You are right to a point. The problem with the FBOT's is the rate at which you can lose your money. People putting on 2 quid 7 team accumulators over the season may lose 100 quid, with some getting lucky and maybe even finishing up for the season. With FBOT's that £100 can be gone in 10 minutes which seems to be the major problem. The other problem is that with bookies now allowing you to deposit from a debit card it never seems like really money, more like a game. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick_BCFC Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 FOBTs are the worst thing to happen in this country for a generation, in my opinion. The amount of young people going through the doors of GA each month is staggering, and in my experience, nine out of ten people under 30 are going because they are addicted to these machines. I know guys that have lost thousands upon thousands through these machines, yet wouldn't have a clue how to do a Lucky 15 or a football coupon. Gambling has changed massively since the new legislation was introduced in 2001. I think it was mid-table that posted a link to the legislation, it was a fairly long read but really worth it. I'm addicted to these machines. I used to do fairly well with lower league football betting as I felt I had a slight advantage over the bookie, or the layer on Betfair, but I had to quit gambling altogether as I was putting everything I won, and more, into the online casino roulette or the FOBTs when I was in shop. They're poisonous. That pretty much sums me up. I did reasonably well out of the football and darts but whenever I went in to collect it was rare i'd come out with anything when I sat down to play the roulette. I haven't gambled for about 7 months now but find myself still adjusting to what most would consider to be a normal level of money. I've probably got about £60-£80 a week left over after i've paid the bills etc. When 'in action' so to speak, I didn't feel right unless I had £100+ in my wallet should the need arise to play the roulette (which was about 90% of the time I walked past the shop). I'd have about 10 days of the month where I lived like a king and then be flat broke for three weeks, borrowing a fiver here and there so I could get myself some dinner. I go to the GA meetings now and it's heart-breaking seeing some of the 18/19/20 year old boys come in all stoney faced knowing exactly how they feel. The shame is, probably 95% of them turn up to one or two meetings and they are never to be seen again. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD1711 Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 "you never see a poor bookie" who made this shite quote up? Bookie shops are ran by managers who work crazily unsociable hours and often 3 12 hour shifts per week, and for not a great deal of money. Hacing been a cashier i can safely say shop staff WANT punters to win not lose, managers included. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GiGi Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 "you never see a poor bookie" who made this shite quote up? Bookie shops are ran by managers who work crazily unsociable hours and often 3 12 hour shifts per week, and for not a great deal of money. Hacing been a cashier i can safely say shop staff WANT punters to win not lose, managers included. I think you've massively missed the point. No one said 'you never see a poor bookie shop manager'. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wunfellaff Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 ^^^ Big Mac was a failed bookie afore c4 came acallin. Plenty of bookies have "failed".... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loki Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Yeah I got a pittance at Hills. I loved the job, but the money and the loyalty expected of you was unbelievable for the amount they were actually paying you. Managers were doing all kinds of over time expecting to get the time back, but some managers had clocked in excess of 70 hours to get back. However William Hill as a company do superbly well. The William Hill shop I was in was only open so they could have their FOBT machines. We were lucky to do 100 bets a day at times. And most of them would be from a couple of old guys that would come in when it opened, bet 50p a race then leave to go home for their tea. I feel sorry for most people that work in a bookies. I was paid minimum wage and was only given an 18 hour contract to work over four days. I would regulalrly work 40 hours a week, however no more than that as I would then be paid time and a half. I was always scheduled to work weekends (Saturday and Sunday), then after I while when I refused to do consecutive weekends, I was then shut down to my minimum contract. Then the shop's opening hours was increased without any prior notice and we were expected then to work to 9.30pm on each shift we had that weekend. I played in a poker league on a Thursday, and then I was scheduled to work every Thursday by my manager. Basically just to piss me off. Incredibly she was such a petty manager that she got a member of staff sacked for "stealing". Basically he helped himself to a can of juice and a packet of crisps. He then wrote an IOU slip saying that he owed the shop the 90p or whatever it was. She reported him. As part of the contract everyone has to work Grand National Day. However our manager asked for it off. She was refused. Ross County were due to play Celtic that day. I wasn't allowed it off. She then schedules me to work while the game was off, and she would swan in after the race was done. I explained to her that Dingwall will be dead that day. No one will be in the shop, as everyone will be in Glasgow, and most will place bets on the Friday. She refused to take a telling. So we are both scheduled to work that Friday, and I visit the doctors that day with an ear infection. The doctor signs me off for a week, due to hearing loss because of the infection. I take great delight in handing my sickness certificate that day. She was absolutely livid as she has to work all that day by herself. She couldn't even get out for a cigarette. The more she moaned, the more I smiled. I then went to watch County scud Celtic. I told them to stick their job the following week. Without her, I would have quite happily stayed in that job for longer. Was more than happy to leave that job for guaranteed hours and more money shuffling grain. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fraser Fyvie Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Before I put you on ignore, roulette has an overround 2.78%. Fruit machines on the FOBTs have an overround of 8.7%. Your average shop football coupon has an overround of 12.5%. An average horse race at SP has an overround of about 25%. In terms of forms of gambling, roulette offers some of the most decent returns available in terms of value. It's because it's a high turnover activity that the losses from it are so high. The only betting I can think of that has a better rate of return is blackjack, and betting against your mates. Even an absolute 100% book on betfair with 3 outcomes all at 2/1 has an overround of 3.45% with a 5% commission rate. Yet you're still guaranteed to lose, so is in no way "decent". At least with sports betting you can look for value, giving you the edge, rather than throwing money on a 52-48 chance against you despite only getting odds of 50-50. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SS-18 ICBM Posted January 15, 2013 Author Share Posted January 15, 2013 [/size] No it doesn't. Putting seven-team accumulators on every weekend is a great way to hand over money to the bookies, but I don't see the hand-wringing and outrage about that. Accumulators of any size from doubles upwards are extremely profitable for bookmakers VT, that fact doesn't require debate. However, some very lucky punters do get significant returns from such bets without having to wager more than a one pound coin. Occasionally huge payouts are handed over to punters for their successful sports betting accumulators. The FOBT's are a very different kettle of fish i think. What are the maximum payouts on the FOBTs, does anyone know the real figure? I've yet to meet anyone offline who has won more than a few hundred pounds in one session on the FOBT's. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mid-table Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 What are the maximum payouts on the FOBTs, does anyone know the real figure? I've yet to meet anyone offline who has won more than a few hundred pounds in one session on the FOBT's. The maximum return (not profit) per bet (spin of wheel or reels etc) is £500, there is no limit to the maximum payout I believe. Someone could cash out £20,000 but might have put in £19,000 to get that. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loki Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 I have physically paid out in excess of 2k from the FOBT machines. The guy took us for over 5k profit in a few days over Xmas. However if you keep playing you aren't going to continually get lucky. I was told that a guy in Inverness cashed out 6k. As mid table says the maximum pay out is £500 per spin. You could win £500 on every spin you played and the accumulative total would just keep adding up. We quite often couldn't pay out customers on FOBT machines, as we didn't have the money in the shop and the bank was closed. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mid-table Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 I have physically paid out in excess of 2k from the FOBT machines. The guy took us for over 5k profit in a few days over Xmas. However if you keep playing you aren't going to continually get lucky. I was told that a guy in Inverness cashed out 6k. As mid table says the maximum pay out is £500 per spin. You could win £500 on every spin you played and the accumulative total would just keep adding up. We quite often couldn't pay out customers on FOBT machines, as we didn't have the money in the shop and the bank was closed. That is something that absolutely does my head in. I understand that shops need to have a security aspect, but the absolute lack of any money in some shops at various times of the day is very frustrating. I had a case in Coral in Stirling a couple of months ago, I won on the FOBT on a Sunday night and they couldn't pay me. Also, don't know if this is the same in other bookies, but in Coral you can only cash in a FOBT in the same shop as the machine is located. I wasn't going to be back in Stirling for quite a long time. I decided that slating them on twitter was the best tactic, making sure they knew about it, and getting a few retweets so that it spread. Sure enough they got in touch within half an hour offering to pay it out elsewhere. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 I'm making plans for my dissertation next year. You're a bit of an expert on this mid, do you think I could spin (pun not intended) the problems that FOBTs have created in society since 2001 in 15000 words? Given that it is something I feel strongly about, and have lots of personal experience of, I feel that it is a difficult enough subject to discuss, to get a 2:1 at least anyway. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mid-table Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 I'm making plans for my dissertation next year. You're a bit of an expert on this mid, do you think I could spin (pun not intended) the problems that FOBTs have created in society since 2001 in 15000 words? Given that it is something I feel strongly about, and have lots of personal experience of, I feel that it is a difficult enough subject to discuss, to get a 2:1 at least anyway. You could, but your difficulty may be obtaining enough evidence from studies that hold up to scrutiny and are significantly valid. We all know about the issues that have been created, but there is a distinct lack of a volume of studies on it. Getting information out of betting companies may prove problematic as well, you would have to dig into their published annual reports to get morsels of details on volumes of turnover / profit. And volumes of profit isn't the same as societal problems i.e. you would need to prove that loss of FOBTs is a direct precipitate of crime, homelessness, divorce etc. First port of call would be to read some of Prof. Mark Griffiths (university of Nottingham) stuff. Also depends what angle you are coming from, and what the degree is in. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Honest_Man#1 Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 So if you won say £5K on a FOBT and the shop couldn't pay you, what happens? Surely they can't keep your winnings? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShakehandsTom - DFC Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 So if you won say £5K on a FOBT and the shop couldn't pay you, what happens? Surely they can't keep your winnings? You would go back to the shop at a more suitable time for them to pay out. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Honest_Man#1 Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 You would go back to the shop at a more suitable time for them to pay out. Ah right I see, wasn't sure how you would keep proof you'd won but obviously they'd print a receipt or something. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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