The bookmakers themselves don't care about problem gamblers. Problem gamblers ensure that they stay in profit and they don't really give a fuck how much you lose. It's a bit like a drug dealer being concerned over a regular customer buying too much crack... unless they die, why would he care how much he's using when he's getting custom from them? The bookmaking industry is a dirty, seedy business and I'm someone who likes a bet myself. I've cut down big time compared to recent years, but I'm surrounded by friends and family who have big problems so I know the inner workings, the ins and outs, the tales of woe, the hard luck stories and everything else. It's not something you want to get involved in if you don't trust yourself to keep in control. Even then, most people don't realise they've lost control until it is too late
Bookmakers will suspend your online account if you show them that you have the tiniest clue about things relating to sport. It doesn't matter if you go onto the online casino and blow 5 grand in minutes on Roulette, they'll keep your account open. If you place a couple of accumulators on horses for example and you win then that is an instant red flag and you wont be able to bet with that firm any more (or you'll be able to bet with hugely restricted stakes). I'd ask how is that fair and morally decent but bookmakers don't understand the meaning of human decency. They want your money, simple as that. They want mug punters, they want those who bet on every favourite, they want those who have no strategy or self-control. They want problem gamblers to bet with them because they know that most of the time they'll end up blowing the lot. There is absolute no concern for the welfare of the bettor.
In shops, the FOBT'S are dangerous and they are sneaky. I think the problem is exaggerated slightly in a sense that the popcorn headlines are that people have lost X amount in minutes. What they really mean is that the bettor has staked X amount in minutes. I do understand that plenty of people upload thousands onto the things and then go on to lose the lot. I'm talking about those who wager £1000 in a set timeframe. They likely didn't upload £1000 to begin with, but the tally of bets over a number of spins adds up to that amount. It is misleading and adds to the sad tales of loss.
I do believe they are a problem however. Lowering the stakes to £2 wont happen I don't think. The government would lose too much money because the FOBT'S are cash cows. People are deeply addicted to these things, they prey on the vulnerable and they entice you with their quick payout potential. You can, in theory, walk up, put 20 quid in, place a few bets, get a bit lucky and walk out with £200 quid and the whole thing could happen in less than 3 minutes. That is what appeals: the quick, instant win and instant profit. There is no waiting all afternoon for the footie results to come in, nor do you have to perhaps study form of horses and wait a few minutes for the race to be over. Your luck is determined almost instantaneously and when you have a machine that is designed exclusively to take money from people in the long run then you have to really question why it has taken so long for these machines to come under deep scrutiny. Sure, they've made headlines for years intermittently but that isn't enough when people's lives are being absolutely ruined by them.
As for wider sports? After having watched enough of them over the years and betted on quite a few I'm deeply in the camp that a big enough portion of them are scripted and rigged. When you are talking about millions and billions of pounds, dollars and other currencies being wagered you cannot have a clean environment. And no, this isn't pocket talk. I've had some nice wins that have came about by something happening where I've said to myself "There is absolutely no way that is above board, but fuck me I'll take it." Horse racing, greyhounds, the NBA, cricket (more so the T20 leagues) and a couple of other sports are in no way clean in my opinion. This ties into the lure with gamblers because even if they do have a sound logic and rationale as to why they've placed a certain wager, they cant win anyway unless they are on the right side of the fix.
I have to leave now for 5-a-side, but I'll try and elaborate further later on. This is very important subject that is close to my heart and many others on here also.
