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Is Paul Merson Right?
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Re: Is Paul Merson Right?
Only has time to read the headline as I'm busy..but yes in my opinion he is correct.
Gambling addiction is an illness, they need support and education, not bans.
Same as drug addicts should get rehab and support and not jail.
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Re: Is Paul Merson Right?
No, he's wrong. Addiction or not, the rules state that players cannot bet on football outcomes. Don't make excuses for them - if these players want to gamble, there are plenty of other things to bet on.
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Re: Is Paul Merson Right?
Hhmmm it’s a tough one, should it be the same for say NML with his drug issues?
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Re: Is Paul Merson Right?
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Originally Posted by
tforturton
No, he's wrong. Addiction or not, the rules state that players cannot bet on football outcomes. Don't make excuses for them - if these players want to gamble, there are plenty of other things to bet on.
Considering Ivan Toney wears a t-shirt with a betting logo on it, I think football might be at fault...
Gambling advertising is a disgrace, it has gone way, way too far and it is a disease. The bans are a joke, they'll certainly make some gamble more and football has a hell of a lot to answer for.
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Re: Is Paul Merson Right?
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Originally Posted by
tforturton
No, he's wrong. Addiction or not, the rules state that players cannot bet on football outcomes. Don't make excuses for them - if these players want to gamble, there are plenty of other things to bet on.
Have you ever suffered with addiction? Knowing how you should behave, and actually being able to behave and not give into your addiction are two entirely different things.
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Re: Is Paul Merson Right?
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Originally Posted by
Pedro de la Rosa
Considering Ivan Toney wears a t-shirt with a betting logo on it, I think football might be at fault...
Gambling advertising is a disgrace, it has gone way, way too far and it is a disease. The bans are a joke, they'll certainly make some gamble more and football has a hell of a lot to answer for.
Was it 777 that we had on our shirts for one game, until it was belatedly realised that they didn't have a licence to operate in the EU. That was before we changed to red, so well over a decade ago.
But I'm sure the FA are working hard on the problem...
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Re: Is Paul Merson Right?
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Originally Posted by
lardy
Was it 777 that we had on our shirts for one game, until it was belatedly realised that they didn't have a licence to operate in the EU. That was before we changed to red, so well over a decade ago.
But I'm sure the FA are working hard on the problem...
Or was it 888? The Chinese are generally octophiles.
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1 Attachment(s)
Re: Is Paul Merson Right?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
lardy
Was it 777 that we had on our shirts for one game, until it was belatedly realised that they didn't have a licence to operate in the EU. That was before we changed to red, so well over a decade ago.
But I'm sure the FA are working hard on the problem...
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/...-shirt-2081938
Attachment 6116
https://www.gamingintelligence.com/u...h-sbobet-deal/
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Re: Is Paul Merson Right?
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Originally Posted by
Dembe
Have you ever suffered with addiction? Knowing how you should behave, and actually being able to behave and not give into your addiction are two entirely different things.
Like I said, they don't have to gamble on football.
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Re: Is Paul Merson Right?
It should be treated as a disease because it obviously is one. And it's also obvious that these people need help not punishment. Has Ivan Toney's 10 month ban cured him of his addiction? I doubt it. Gambling advertising, shouldn't be allowed on shirts, in stadiums or on TV. It's ridiculous.
I once worked with a bloke who gambled on his phone all day. He gambled on sports he had no idea about. He even gambled on cricket. I can't remember who he bet on, but he thought his team was going to win because they had over 100 points and the other team didn't have any. I tried to explain cricket to him, but I might as well have been speaking to him in Welsh.
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Re: Is Paul Merson Right?
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Originally Posted by
tforturton
Like I said, they don't have to gamble on football.
You have no idea, and you are ignorant.
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Re: Is Paul Merson Right?
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Originally Posted by
NYCBlue
It should be treated as a disease because it obviously is one. And it's also obvious that these people need help not punishment. Has Ivan Toney's 10 month ban cured him of his addiction? I doubt it. Gambling advertising, shouldn't be allowed on shirts, in stadiums or on TV. It's ridiculous.
I once worked with a bloke who gambled on his phone all day. He gambled on sports he had no idea about. He even gambled on cricket. I can't remember who he bet on, but he thought his team was going to win because they had over 100 points and the other team didn't have any. I tried to explain cricket to him, but I might as well have been speaking to him in Welsh.
You can bet on things like college football/basketball etc who the **** in the UK is really going to have a clue what they're betting on?
Womens basketball league in the UK etc. People just see odds and are desperate to win. People need help, sadly there are too many ignorant idiots with opinions that think they are better than others, and its just as easy as "not betting on football"
With ignorance like that around, theres a long long way to go to getting these issues fixed sadly.
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Re: Is Paul Merson Right?
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Originally Posted by
NYCBlue
It should be treated as a disease because it obviously is one. And it's also obvious that these people need help not punishment. Has Ivan Toney's 10 month ban cured him of his addiction? I doubt it. Gambling advertising, shouldn't be allowed on shirts, in stadiums or on TV. It's ridiculous.
I once worked with a bloke who gambled on his phone all day. He gambled on sports he had no idea about. He even gambled on cricket. I can't remember who he bet on, but he thought his team was going to win because they had over 100 points and the other team didn't have any. I tried to explain cricket to him, but I might as well have been speaking to him in Welsh.
A very good friend of mine will gamble every last penny away without fail every month. He'll message me if Surrey will win etc and he doesn't know anything about cricket. He messages my friends about snooker etc. Interesting studies have been done on it, the winning doesn't really matter, it just allows you to place another bet which is the far bigger rush. The excitement comes from thinking you might win and it completely rewires your brain. It is a really sad illness and completely changes your personality. The bookies are evil.
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Re: Is Paul Merson Right?
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Originally Posted by
Pedro de la Rosa
A very good friend of mine will gamble every last penny away without fail every month. He'll message me if Surrey will win etc and he doesn't know anything about cricket. He messages my friends about snooker etc. Interesting studies have been done on it, the winning doesn't really matter, it just allows you to place another bet which is the far bigger rush. The excitement comes from thinking you might win and it completely rewires your brain. It is a really sad illness and completely changes your personality. The bookies are evil.
I know plenty of people who will gamble away their weeks wages by the Friday evening. Other mates you'd be in a round with 5 of you and 4 of them would be in the bookies and you'd manage 3 "in between" pints by the time they came back to their warm pints.. go round a mates for a few drinks and 2 of them are sat there playing bingo stood around the one phone...roulette machines in the bookies were another one, lads putting their wages in a bandit and not having enough money to buy a pint..middle aged men putting £500 on a horse and leaving the pub to go home as it inevitably doesnt win...gambling is a disease.
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Re: Is Paul Merson Right?
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Originally Posted by
Taunton Blue Genie
Or was it 888? The Chinese are generally octophiles.
It's been more like 666 since then.
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Re: Is Paul Merson Right?
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Originally Posted by
Eric the Half a Bee
It's been more like 666 since then.
Welcome back.
(PS The Gunman might need some stats support!)
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Re: Is Paul Merson Right?
Wealthy actors, sportsmen etc promoting gambling every ad break, everyone’s a winner. They never show a desperate soul alone in their bedroom clutching pills or a rope because everyone isn’t a winner. It’s a scourge on society.
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Re: Is Paul Merson Right?
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Originally Posted by
tforturton
No, he's wrong. Addiction or not, the rules state that players cannot bet on football outcomes. Don't make excuses for them - if these players want to gamble, there are plenty of other things to bet on.
I think that's the key point.
I am anti gambling, particularly online gambling and I think it's reprehensible that football is so indebted to those companies. I also respect that some are addicted to gambling and need help.
But the issue I think is that they are involved in the sport and when gambling on that sport enters the arena it could lead to damage to sporting integrity.
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Re: Is Paul Merson Right?
He has a point , but isn't there enough pull on the NHS and the public purse .
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Re: Is Paul Merson Right?
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Originally Posted by
lardy
Was it 777 that we had on our shirts for one game, until it was belatedly realised that they didn't have a licence to operate in the EU. That was before we changed to red, so well over a decade ago.
But I'm sure the FA are working hard on the problem...
Spobet too.
At least it's not "Wales Online". Now that would be a fckin disgrace.
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Re: Is Paul Merson Right?
Did they ever sell any of those 777 shirts, I remember they sold sponsor less shirts that year.
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Re: Is Paul Merson Right?
I jumped in quick and got one between "777" and "Sbobet" - so no logo at all, and it's much better (no pun intended) for it.
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Re: Is Paul Merson Right?
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Originally Posted by
bobh
I jumped in quick and got one between "777" and "Sbobet" - so no logo at all, and it's much better (no pun intended) for it.
Yeah I bought a blank one.
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Re: Is Paul Merson Right?
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Originally Posted by
JamesWales
I think that's the key point.
I am anti gambling, particularly online gambling and I think it's reprehensible that football is so indebted to those companies. I also respect that some are addicted to gambling and need help.
But the issue I think is that they are involved in the sport and when gambling on that sport enters the arena it could lead to damage to sporting integrity.
Football probably shouldn’t have got so involved with gambling in the first place, then.
Also, if they’re placing thousands of bets, they’re addicts. It isn’t their fault. Thirdly, who gives a **** about the bookies, cos they certainly couldn’t care less about Tonali and Toney. Vile, vile businesses.
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Re: Is Paul Merson Right?
It's probably best to leave the deterrent there if it helps one player stop gambling then that's a good thing.
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Re: Is Paul Merson Right?
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Originally Posted by
splott parker
Wealthy actors, sportsmen etc promoting gambling every ad break, everyone’s a winner. They never show a desperate soul alone in their bedroom clutching pills or a rope because everyone isn’t a winner. It’s a scourge on society.
It is really bad and the adverts make it look very attractive and fun for teenagers and young adults, I'm all for advertising bans and much more restrictions.
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Re: Is Paul Merson Right?
Paul Merson is spot on.
Something that might interest people. When Saturday Comes has stuck to its guns by not accepting betting adverts btw. :thumbup:
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Re: Is Paul Merson Right?
Gambling can certainly be addictive and any addiction is a condition, not a choice. Merson is 100% correct and has the lived experience to prove it.
Football demonising and banning players for gambling and then taking the money from gambling companies and shoving it down ours, and the players, throats, is ridiculously cynical and hypocritical.
Imagine a young player with a gambling addiction who has the ability to impact of a game he's betting on.. It's like playing the lottery but being able to influence what numbers come out of Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin, Vyvyan and Galahad.
With an addiction, that your own profession rams down everyones throat and makes you wear their advertisements, i think the temptation is just too much.
The relationship between gambling and football needs to be looked at.
Also, is anyone else sick of mega rich film stars on tv telling us to gamble on almost everything. Its wrong.
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Re: Is Paul Merson Right?
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Originally Posted by
AfricanBluebird
Gambling can certainly be addictive and any addiction is a condition, not a choice. Merson is 100% correct and has the lived experience to prove it.
Football demonising and banning players for gambling and then taking the money from gambling companies and shoving ut down ours, and the players, throats, is ridiculously cynical and hypocritical.
Imagine a young player with a gambling addiction who has the ability to impact of a game he's betting on.. It's like playing the lottery but being able to influence what numbers come out of Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin, Vyvyan and Galahad.
With an addiction, that your own profession rams down everyones throat and makes you wear their advertisements, i think the temptation isnjust too much.
Good post. Don't the FA/Clubs etc. actually have a duty of care? Banning seems very draconian.
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Re: Is Paul Merson Right?
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Originally Posted by
Citizen's Nephew
Good post. Don't the FA/Clubs etc. actually have a duty of care? Banning seems very draconian.
To me too.
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Re: Is Paul Merson Right?
I've still got my blank one, it's my favourite city shirt that I own.
Edit: supposed to quote the previous page conversation...
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Re: Is Paul Merson Right?
Of course he is right. The hypocrisy is astounding. The Premier League has a broadcasting deal with Bet 365 but whoa betide one of the players place a bet with them.
The football industry is happy to market the life out of gambling and betting companies to make a pretty penny, but then doesnt look after its own when they are in need of help not punishment.
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Re: Is Paul Merson Right?
It is an addiction, they do need help, but a feared enough deterrent also needs to exist. If it's gotten to the point whereby they are unable to stop themselves despite the risk of putting their livelihood at risk, then 10 months out of the game doesn't sound like an unfitting amount of time for the recovery one would need to undertake.
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Re: Is Paul Merson Right?
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Originally Posted by
North Cardiff Blue
It is really bad and the adverts make it look very attractive and fun for teenagers and young adults, I'm all for advertising bans and much more restrictions.
As an ex Gambling addict I cant say the adverts ever really affected me, FOBTs were more of a problem for me, but I do worry about how they normalise gambling and make it look so fun, especially for teenagers and young adults.
The one that has really dissapointed me is Peter Crouch and his missus - who already have a net worth of some 30m - with their latest Paddy Power adverts making it all look so jovial and fun. I always thought Crouchy was one of the good guys, not anymore.
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Re: Is Paul Merson Right?
A lad I knew and went to school with ended his life after his life unravelled due to gambling.
He lost everything ended up in prison after he held up the bookies with a shot gun and eventually got caught.
He was a good footballer and a quiet man.
I couldn't believe what had happened to him when I found out.
I have suffered from addiction but I realised it was going the wrong way so took a step back.
I guess I was 1 of the lucky ones.
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Re: Is Paul Merson Right?
I am glad that people have posted about their own experiences, to bring a balanced view to the thread.
The ignorance of some.
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Re: Is Paul Merson Right?
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Originally Posted by
jon1959
Welcome back.
(PS The Gunman might need some stats support!)
Eric's flounce lasted 847,140 seconds. Beat that!
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Re: Is Paul Merson Right?
Aston Villa have a new shirt sponsor their biggest ever. £20 million a year with a Greek sports betting firm Betano.
It will never stop.
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Re: Is Paul Merson Right?
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Originally Posted by tforturton
Like I said, they don't have to gamble on football.
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Originally Posted by
Dembe
You have no idea, and you are ignorant.
Not being funny but that was my thought too. I completely understand that it's a gambling addiction but is it specifically to football? I've seen interviews with players talking about betting on dogs, Basketball, anything.
Genuinely curious if the compulsion would be around a particular sport.