Does Britian have a gambling problem?

[pig]

Well last night I went to bed at roughly 1am, nothing weird about from the fact that I was playing poker from 8pm. Admittadly I was doing other things such as watch a film, listen to some music, chat to my girlfriend on the phone and the usual pa/irc/msn shinnanigans. However for me this is almost normal. Its quite ironically relaxing. Sitting around playing poker, for me to some extent it saves me money, as Im not out at the pub, cinema, club, snooker wherever I go spending £20-50 rather im spending £10 maybe a night. However the fact is that this also seems the normal for many others. I know some play more than I do for example forest and dace (although admitadly they are probably better players.)

However its not just poker, I frequent at bookmakers. When im at university I will spend each day playing the dogs and roulette, with the sole aim to make £10 during the week and £20 fri/sat/sun. Id say 7/10 times it works fine nothing screws up and patience beats the system to a certain extent. However I've been going to the bookmakers since I was 18. I have noticed a remarkable increase in younger players. At first on the roulette machines, then the dogs, then the horses until they are there for a good couple of hours each day.

The next problem I see are the one arm bandits found in pubs and bars. These pose a big problem to me and many others. Im lucky that I learnt how to play the machines, I wasnt one of those who put money in. However saying that learning how to play is not a good thing. Sometimes I think I know when the machine is going to pay out. However this blind certainty leads me to lose £10-20 without blinking. Saying that I have won bigtime, but im sure losses outweigh wins (although im not too sure about that )

Gambling itself is becoming more and more accepted I believe. 3 years ago, I saw a casino as a place where rich businessman go and meet beautiful women, sip martinis and play some blackjack. That was until I got casino membership at Star City Casino (the UKs largest Casino) and I saw the seedy, greedy side of gambling. Yet the thrill of winning made me ignore all of this. When I lost I thought hey who cares I had free food and free drinks while I was here. I saw people lose a hell of a lot in the casino. For example one man put down £1000 red or black, he put it on red, he doubled and doubled until he reached table limit. Yet he still lost (Table limit was £10000 I think) although it was probably drug money, its alot of money to lose just for 10 minutes if that. I see people sitting at the slot machines for hours just putting money in and in and in.

What I see around me is gambling. Its made to look be it on the television, in films or when walking around. On TV you see celebs play poker. You never see them losing there own money, just the joy of winning. In films casinos are always seen as glamourous places (which granted such casinos as the monte carlo ones, they probably are) However more casinos are opening, poker sites are the most profitable at the moment (party poker etc). Gambling itself is more accessible.

The revolution of the internet has allowed us to gamble to the max, women can play, young men can play, all groups can play in fact. The internet has allowed us to lose those seedy images of smoky poker rooms, or bookmakers and has allowed many to play. Remember we are heavily swayed by adverts and adverts for gambling is still around.

I think not only the UK but the Europe and perhaps the USA as a whole might have a little gambling addiction. Ever since at least in the UK advertising for gambling became legal I think im correct in saying that was when the lotto started as it was a government backed project. But fact remains at least in the UK we are enjoying gambling to the max.

Finally upon writing this thread I realised that I myself might have a problem. What gambling has done to me is lose the value of money. I no longer see ten pounds as ten pounds, I see it as pocket money from winnings of gambling. That is by far the worst way to look at it, as it means the eventually money wont have any real meaning. Can I stop? I believe I can, but believing is a lot easier than knowing.

Saying that my gambling has decreased since uni, to the odd roulette and poker game, so maybe I can. But the problem is temptation is always there :/

[MrL_JaKiri]

You have a gambling problem.

[pig]

Originally Posted by MrL_JaKiri

You have a gambling problem.

Admittadly I may, but I guess first part is talking about it, second part is doing something about it. Trying to realise how much I gamble is good to try and put things in prespective.

[pig]

Originally Posted by Toccata & Fugue

So this thread should really be called 'Does Pig have a gambling problem? '

Edit: damn you MrL

nah I admit I probably have a problem just as much as others here, but I also believe Britain on a whole has a problem and thats what I also want to discuss.

[Marilyn Manson]

Britain has problems. Many problems.

[Dante Hicks]

Originally Posted by pig

What gambling has done to me is lose the value of money. I no longer see ten pounds as ten pounds, I see it as pocket money from winnings of gambling. That is by far the worst way to look at it, as it means the eventually money wont have any real meaning.

I have this, but I tend to view it as an advantage. For instance, if I buy something for someone (e.g. a gift) I don't worry about how much it cost as it pales into significance when compared to gambling exploits. Sure, it doesn't lead to prudence, but who cares?

[HAL-9000]

Originally Posted by Dante Hicks

I have this, but I tend to view it as an advantage. For instance, if I buy something for someone (e.g. a gift) I don't worry about how much it cost as it pales into significance when compared to gambling exploits. Sure, it doesn't lead to prudence, but who cares?

How prudent would you suggest it is to live and earn money so that, instead of spending it, you can go to the cash machine once a week to check how much you have in there and look at all the pretty numbers? Are all those numbers worth the hundreds of pounds that could be spent on useful things? In the future, perhaps, but I don't think that far ahead. I'll learn my lesson, I'm sure, but until then I'll spend my money - that's what it's there for!

[pig]

Originally Posted by Dante Hicks

Sure, it doesn't lead to prudence, but who cares?

very true but at the moment I have no real worries, no mortgage, not a real job and just the life of a student to contend with. However what im worried about is going into the red when real life kicks in, due to me having no real relation to money.

For example I will see that I am earning say £20000 a yer, my mortgage say is half of that, which gives me £10000 a year, now my brain will say fk it I can spend £10000 a year and it wont even give it a second thought when really it should be thinking if you can save even 5% of it, thats £500 for a holiday.

I really dont know to be hoenst, it then comes back to something I was thinking of last night, what is the real value of money. Its there, you want something, spend it.

However saying all this, one thing I pride myself is staying away from credit cards and as a whole loans. Im out of the red and now dont have an overdraft anymore. Which indicates to me that rather than spend what I dont have, I spend what I have but without much consideration.

[Dante Hicks]

To be honest, you can avoid most financial problems by being sensible (obviously). For instance, if I have a few hundred quid spare in my current account I'm perfectly aware I'll flit it away. So I make sure I pay my rent + other obligations as soon as I get paid. If I wanted to save I'd do the same thing (transfer to an account I couldn't make instant withdrawls from).

[pig]

Originally Posted by Dante Hicks

To be honest, you can avoid most financial problems by being sensible (obviously). For instance, if I have a few hundred quid spare in my current account I'm perfectly aware I'll flit it away. So I make sure I pay my rent + other obligations as soon as I get paid. If I wanted to save I'd do the same thing (transfer to an account I couldn't make instant withdrawls from).

Ye, thats what to do but sometimes I get what I call "cant be arsed syndrome" where im too lazy to do anything constructive.

[djbass]

I'd say no if not for the shear number of Britians on this board that admit to playing regular online poker.

Once you play it on anything more than a once in a blue moon basis I say you have a gambling problem, especially those like uni students for example using it to support their living expenses.

[CrashTester]

When I was in my teens my parents owned a caravan. On the site as in most others was an arcade and every summer I would be lured into the arcade by the flashing lights and started playing the furuit machines. I sometimes won nice amounts of money but usually would lose a pount or 2 in less than 15 minutes. I was only playing 5p machines at the time. As I got older I probably would have been lured by the flashing lights and played the bigger prized fruities but I did something which I now realise was clever.

I bought my own fruit machine and had it in my bedroom.

You know what? I soon got bored of fruit machines when I realised that it was nothing more than a giant piggy bank.

I dont play fruit machines any more, except for the odd quid or two when down at the sea side. I've saved a hell of a lot more than the 100 quid it cost me to buy the machine and nip any possible future addiction in the bud.

[Cannon_Fodder]

You gamble every day, I barely get out of bed every day....

[hyfe]

Originally Posted by djbass

I'd say no if not for the shear number of Britians on this board that admit to playing regular online poker.

Once you play it on anything more than a once in a blue moon basis I say you have a gambling problem, especially those like uni students for example using it to support their living expenses.

So you believe any game for money is inheritly evil? Go Go Bible squad?

I mean, personally I play 3-5 hours of poker a week. That's more than once in a blue moon isn't it? ... and I have a gambling problem? Uhm?

[KoeN]

Britain has about 60 million problems tbh.

[Cannon_Fodder]

I think everyone should put koen on ignore

[steve]

well pig i know the feeling i had been playing online poker at pacific for around 8-10 hours a day on and off. i however only put 20 dollars in and withdrew 1000 last week.

however after talking to forest i saw it was prolly best to quit then let it become a problem. so if i were you pig id email all my poker sites tell them to ban you (they always like to help as gives them a good rep) and also tell your local bookys to not serve you.

[Tomkat]

I rarely gamble. I did a bit on the Big Brother this year, and I occasionally do on international football games.

I've never been into a bookmakers.

I don't have a problem

[Dace]

I CAN QUIT ANY TIME I WANT!

[Deffeh]

My only gambling problem is my crippling bad luck

[dda]

Originally Posted by Deffeh

My only gambling problem is my crippling bad luck

For me it can hardly be called gambling. Gambling implys that you might win. I never win. Ever! An example of the way my luck works, a few years ago I went to Reno to watch a basketball tournament. Our local college team and my wife's alma mater had a 7' 2" Nigerian center who came to our town from London odly enough. While I was there, I decided that I would allow myself to lose 40 quarters ($10) on the slot machines. I swapped a $10-bill for the 40 quarters and walked up to the machine that I had chosen. I began to unwrap the quarters from the roll they were in. One of the quarters broke free and leaped for freedom. It struck the floor and ran off and hid under another machine. I had managed to lose my first quarter without even getting a chance to gamble. The rest of the 39 quarters may as well have followed suit for all the good they did me.  Gambling is only a problem if you lose.

[djbass]

Originally Posted by hyfe

So you believe any game for money is inheritly evil? Go Go Bible squad?

I mean, personally I play 3-5 hours of poker a week. That's more than once in a blue moon isn't it? ... and I have a gambling problem? Uhm?

I didn't say that, I said anyone gambling on a regular basis has a problem. Playing games for money in general is fine.

I would say if you are gambling on a weekly basis that constitutes a problem. If you are doing it because you enjoy poker, then why not play a non monetry game.

To be fair though I'll make an exception for amounts of $5.00 or less, akin to what you might spend on a scratchie or simular.

[vampire_lestat]

poker is only really great in person, online poker is a bit dull really.

[G.K Zhukov]

Well, pig, there is a reason I don't gamble. Im not taking the chance


(seeing how easily I have been addicted on other games in the past, like Civilization I and so on)

[hyfe]

Originally Posted by djbass

would say if you are gambling on a weekly basis that constitutes a problem. If you are doing it because you enjoy poker, then why not play a non monetry game.

If I'm good enough to rake in a few bucks regurarly, why play non-monetry? Seriously, what's the problem?

Does somebody playing the lottery weekly have a 'gambling problem' too?

[vampire_lestat]

no, they are idiots.

[hyfe]

People making grammitical mistakes while calling others idiots always make me smile

[vampire_lestat]

right you are.

[dda]

What is the current line on whether or not Pig has a gambling problem? 7-5 or there abouts? Who's taking some action on it?