Gambling machine stakes to be cut to £2

[splott parker]

It is like anything, some people will do it to excess. Some people spend thousands a year on clothes they never wear, some people drink themselves into oblivion.

One really interesting angle to this that I saw earlier was that these terminals are being used to launder dirty cash. Will make me think twice when I see the 'regular' feeding money into the machine at the local bookie and wondering how he has the cash to stand there all day!

Laundering dirty cash is a good call, don’t use bookies myself but I have a few mates who are punters, horses & football, they’ve said about these people pumping cash into these gaming machines, people with no visible form of income. If they win big do they get a legitimate receipt therefore cleaning the money?

[ken smith]

Laundering dirty cash is a good call, don’t use bookies myself but I have a few mates who are punters, horses & football, they’ve said about these people pumping cash into these gaming machines, people with no visible form of income. If they win big do they get a legitimate receipt therefore cleaning the money?

Bookies are supposed to report and log any big bets over a certain amount, whether they do or not is another matter mind.

[SuisseBluebird]

I work for a bookies
Expect the shops to start closing within 2 years

Never liked the machines, hated them in fact but still feel for my colleagues
But at the same time I tell them to get out whilst they can, weird half and half emotions for me

I used to work for William Hill all over Cardiff, Penarth and Barry during my student years. Hated the terminals, they supplemented my pay, William Hill didn't shy away from admitting 50% of operating profit at the time came from those machines.

They played on addiction, monthly free tournaments to promote a new game that's just a new skin on top of another. Encourage people to play, hand out flyers. I never engaged, I obliged if someone asked but never went out of my way to promote the machines.

Those machines were the main source for punters who eventually decided to bar themselves for a year from the premises. Which for me proved to be impossible to remain compliant with as I bounced around 20 or so different shops.

For me this great news. Limits potential losses and could help tackle the gambling issues people contend with. I know the worry is that this will lead to shop closures and loss of jobs. But when the amount of bookmakers in Cardiff City centre began to outnumber the amount of digits on my hands and feet, its a problem. They're not there for the 330 at Chepstow but for the 100 on red.

[WJ99mobile]

I used to work for William Hill all over Cardiff, Penarth and Barry during my student years. Hated the terminals, they supplemented my pay, William Hill didn't shy away from admitting 50% of operating profit at the time came from those machines.

They played on addiction, monthly free tournaments to promote a new game that's just a new skin on top of another. Encourage people to play, hand out flyers. I never engaged, I obliged if someone asked but never went out of my way to promote the machines.

Those machines were the main source for punters who eventually decided to bar themselves for a year from the premises. Which for me proved to be impossible to remain compliant with as I bounced around 20 or so different shops.

For me this great news. Limits potential losses and could help tackle the gambling issues people contend with. I know the worry is that this will lead to shop closures and loss of jobs. But when the amount of bookmakers in Cardiff City centre began to outnumber the amount of digits on my hands and feet, its a problem. They're not there for the 330 at Chepstow but for the 100 on red.

Used to do the same, worked at hills for about 2 years 4-5 years ago

[Feedback]

pools betting is where it's at

[BlueArmy 86]

I've had some good nights off a tenner i had on black 17

Seriously though, they're bad news. Never had a huge problem but wasted plenty of money on roulette. Still struggle to walk past a bookies without having a spin if I'm pissed though.

[Peajay]

Not before time either and how did it ever get to this state?

I remember £4 jackpot limit in pubs and £100 in clubs as everyone knew the damage these machines could do.

Now to stop Sky Bet, Paddy Power, Bet365 etc... advertising on Sky

I was thinking that too. But that will never happen there is so much sponsorship with clubs and advertising revenue, and feel the government will just address the 'low hanging fruit'

[Badly Ironed Shirt]

Not before time either and how did it ever get to this state?

I remember £4 jackpot limit in pubs and £100 in clubs as everyone knew the damage these machines could do.

Now to stop Sky Bet, Paddy Power, Bet365 etc... advertising on Sky

I was in a bookies a few years back, putting money on a horse for the grand national. This Chinese lady jumps the queue and is trying to get served. The girl at the counter asked her to join the queue, but she was having none of it. The manager came out, took her slip of paper and gave her about £600. I left about 5 minutes later, and the lady was back at the machine.

Gambling ads are wrong, the latest Sky bet one with Jeff Stelling is really poor - given a false impression of compassion. I haven't seen Sky Sports News for years, but remember transfer gossip being accompanied by odds of that gossip coming true.