Betting adverts on TV

[J R Hartley]

It's posts like these that I really admire. There's no better source than from people who walk the walk. Any addiction will result in debt and misery. I really congratulate you and everyone else for sharing this stuff because this means a lot and is the way to help people. A massive thank you.

A while ago there was a thread about something football (they do happen occasionally on here!) and the word luck was mentioned. I know I tend to be too academic about this stuff but I tried to convey the reasoning that there is no such thing. Everything is random in the universe and we live in a constant state of chaos. I know this stuff sounds heavy but I'm pretty sure you and others will get where I'm coming from.

You and Demb mentioned GamCare which is amazing. I randomly came across this a few seasons ago when I stupidly played the CCFC lottery thing they were pushing at the time. I don't normally do these things but I was sold on something along the lines of it helping the club. To cut a long story short, the only way I could get the f*cking thing to stop taking money out of my bank account (which I didn't even realise was going to happen - I thought I chose when to play) was to sign up to up to GamCare. I think it gave the option to stop for x number of years and I chose the highest which was 10 I think.

I know it sounds ridiculous and I felt really stupid I'd been caught (more shame actually which really didn't help my mental state at the time) but I couldn't find a way of stopping it online any other way. I'm pretty sure at the time I couldn't even get a phone number to call.

I hate the ads. They are lies, plain and simple.

Anyway Mr H, really well done fighting this stuff. If you ever need any support I'll bore you to death with equations and algorithms of how it's all a load of bollox and people should just give their money to me!

Have a great day!

Cheers mate

I find talking about it on forums helps me deal with my own problem. Probably shared more on here than I have to family and friends.

If my story helps one person reading then it is worth it. if anyone doesnt want to post on the main forum and is struggling with gambling addiction and wants someone to offload to then dont hesitate to PM me.

[mazadona10]

I got no problem with betting adverts, its the same as everything else. I bet small and win small, im at the point where i wont deposit any money because i know ive won.

I dont bet to become rich, i bet as see it as way to make more money.

As long as dont want to be rich i think its fairly easy to beat bookmakers.

I set up an account only using promotions on paddy power. Put money in and took it out so never used myown money, had it for just over 6 months and taken £200 out of it. Only doing it as an experiment

[Trigger]

Personally I'm all for betting adverts, just as I am any company wishing to advertise its product or service.

The problem isn't with the act of gambling it's the addiction that a minority have with it and if it wasn't gambling they may well fill that void with something else. Bookies, physical and online are only part of it.

They should be fully regulated, most are but the gambling commission does let a number of rogue entities slip through the net. Football index "the football stock market" was pretty much a scam and has lost some people thousands as the "shares" they thought they owned were worthless when the company went bust.

Games like fifa by ea sports have had to adapt as their loot boxes or packs in that game are essentially gambkine, again people can and have sunk thousands in and become addicted.

You have the mobile games that you can spend money to improve your character or whatever, my mate recently told me he spent nearly a grand on that before he later deleted it.

The adverts aren't the problem, it's about insuring there are easy ways for people to limit what they spend and even if they don't perhaps having something to recognise and intervene when obscene amounts are going in to chase losses.

The vulnerable need protection from it but the vast majority should be able to enjoy the occasional bet as I'm allowed the occasional drink.