Gambling

fryup

Do you gamble? is it a mugs game? i usually do it myself during major football tournaments i.e. Euros & WC

whats the most you've won/lost? were you ever addicted to it?

so many scanarios you can bet on nowadays esp in football and with it being 24/7 on line on your smart phone ..its scary....are we facing a generation in secret depth crisis because of it??

biko

I never gamble. Too many people have lost their families and houses over gambling addiction.
If you want to gamble go ahead but I'm not interested to hear about a dead cert in the third race..

Penny Tration

We're not facing a secret problem now, we already were. There are already many people addicted, from the granny spending her pension on scratch cards to the man spending all day in the bookies. walk into any place like Dr. Quirkey's, the amount of old ladies addicted to the slots is scary.


As for me, I'll place a bet at Cheltenham usually, for about a tenner, and buy the odd scratch card. Yearly, I gamble about €25 and usually break even or win €100 ish.


I won't go higher than that because even though it's a bit of a laugh, I saw what gambling addiction and alcoholism did to my family so I'm incredibly careful around anything addictive nowadays.

super_furry

I do now and again but I'm awful at it. Don't have the discipline to be even half-way decent and if I put a bet on, it's one of the mugs ones - high odds for something I want to happen rather than think will happen - like Liverpool winning. Don't think I'd bet or lose more than €150 in a year though.

Used to do alright in the pub poker games about a decade ago when that was all the rage, won €1200 at one of the bigger tournaments but you only remember wins like that and I probably lost as much over the course of that year in the pub tournaments. The only thing there was that was a night out for me really, as soon as I spent the money on the buy-in, it was gone and I went in with the thought that I was spending it as part of a night out rather than trying to earn money back.

There was some serious cash thrown about during the cash games afterwards though, never really got involved in that more than throwing down €20 or so if I was knocked out of the tournament early. The longer they went on, the higher the money got and more desperate people were getting. I knew some of the people could never afford the money they were throwing down and losing and it was tough to watch at times.

Wibbs

I'll buy a quick pick line if the euromillions goes over 100 millions but that's about it. Never really had any gra for gambling of any nature TBH. Just don't have the gene for it I suppose. Nobody in my family does from what I know. I have seen it destroy lives though.

Don't know any regular gamblers who make money from it, once in a blue moon they announce some coup but God love them you know they've pumped a lot more in over the years.

Alf Stewart.

Of the many afflictions I have, thanks be to Allah, the gambling bastard isn't one.

Especially nowadays with the rise of technology, its actually possible for a gambler to lose it all, right down to the house, while still in his bed using his mobile.

Gamblings a bastard. I know first-hand.

Outlaw Pete

People are always gambling in one way or another. Chose one career path over another and you are gambling that it will pay off in the long run. The company could go bust, boom you lost your stake, which of course was your time. Invest in stock and you are gambling that it won't nosedive. Devote yourself to someone and you are gambling they won't get tired of you and fall for someone else. As long as you are risking something in the hope of a pay off, then you're gambling.

So if you want to stick a fiver on Bad Boy in the 4:40 @ Doncaster. Go for it* Life's too short not to.

*Unless of course you have a gambling problem in which case ignore my advice as I have no idea what the hell I am talking about.

Shenshen

The lotto between us at home and the Euromillions with the guys at work, that's about it.

The most I ever won was €3,000 on the lotto once. I know that you're more likley to be struck by lightning and all that, but I also figure that if you don't play, you definintely won't win. So I keep playing and hoping a little bit

hairyslug

On big events only now, gold cup, English grand national, a football accumulator now and again, small bet but huge odds.
My dad used to do accys every day, betting no more that £1 but I could count on one hand the amount of times he won.

I won about 200 on last year's GN, I would tend to go E/W bets, I'm not much of a risk taker throwing a lump on a single result.

Myself and a work colleague used to bet very small amount on races, watch the odds and bet as late as possible waiting to see which horses odds would drop the most, again E/W bets but we had a high win rate.

dan1895

As a side. The amount of ads for gambling companies on during the Euros is sickening.

gigantic09

Remember my first bet,£10 on man utd to win the f.a cup many moons ago.was only a kid so had to say the bet was for my father.They got beaten by bournmouth that year in the 3rd round.Last best was feb 2015,€2000 rugby accumulator ,looser.Have lost a fortune over the years gambling so in my case it definitely is a mugs game.Only positive i can take is that I only hurt myself and nobody else suffered.Most problem gamblers loose even that little bit of dignity,ruining others lives as well as their own.

fryup

gigantic09 wrote: »

Remember my first bet,£10 on man utd to win the f.a cup many moons ago.was only a kid so had to say the bet was for my father.They got beaten by bournmouth that year in the 3rd round..

thats going back a long way....1984 iirc ?

Grayson

I'm currently unemployed and looking for work. I work in IT. I'm applying for everything I can find. However the one industry I won't apply for is gambling. A report released by paddy power found that up to 2/3 of people who gamble online are addicted to gambling. It's an industry that feeds off addicts and lives of their misery.

That doesn't mean that I'm against gambling in it's entirety. I just think there should be limits in place by the major companies and financial institutions to stop people at a certain point. I knew a girl who got married and after the wedding she discovered that her husband had over 300k in gambling debts. His parents had even signed off on loans so he could keep gambling. How the hell can a bank and the gambling companies allow that kind of **** to happen.

Winterlong

I love gambling! I stick a few quid in to my account every cheltnham and see how it goes. If I win big I withdraw.
I would bet on two rain drops trickling down a window pane.

gigantic09

fryup wrote: »

thats going back a long way....1984 iirc ?

Ya, i 10 at the time,I earned the money helping out an elderly neighbour for a few hours.While it was irresponsible of the bookie to take the bet,it pales in comparison with the modern day poison that is online gambling.I know 'ordinary decent people' that have set up online accounts so their children can have a bet.

cajonlardo

Man I knew told me a great story.
He was a serious gambler and loved to bet. Back in the '50's and '60's when he had a win he would rent a Tux and Top hat and get the train to Bray. He would book into the International Hotel ( burned down since). The staff all treated him very well because he'd always remember to tip generously from his winnings . The respect and deference the staff showed him played a part in his plans. After a meal and a good scrub he would spend the weekend ballroom dancing with the American lady tourists who all believed he was a man of means. In reality he was a bloody hard manual worker and came from a tough inner city area. Always liked that story.

Winterlong

Someone living in Frankfurt will be along shortly to condemn gambling as the pastime of the great unwashed while in the same breath talking about his good fortune on the financial derivatives market.

donegaLroad

Grayson wrote: »

I'm currently unemployed and looking for work. I work in IT. I'm applying for everything I can find. However the one industry I won't apply for is gambling. A report released by paddy power found that up to 2/3 of people who gamble online are addicted to gambling. It's an industry that feeds off addicts and lives of their misery.

That doesn't mean that I'm against gambling in it's entirety. I just think there should be limits in place by the major companies and financial institutions to stop people at a certain point. I knew a girl who got married and after the wedding she discovered that her husband had over 300k in gambling debts. His parents had even signed off on loans so he could keep gambling. How the hell can a bank and the gambling companies allow that kind of **** to happen.

you would have to wonder just how much PP is taking out of the Irish economy?

I have seen it in Canada, the sudden huge popularity in online poker, casinos, and the poker channel on tv. Houses re-mortgaged, people dropping out of school, bank loans and money borrowed to gamble... it will end in large scale multiple bankruptcies, only winners are the fkers who own the sites.

With so many people now gambling online in Ireland, a huge amount of €€ will be drained out of the country.

sword1

Penny Tration wrote: »

We're not facing a secret problem now, we already were. There are already many people addicted, from the granny spending her pension on scratch cards to the man spending all day in the bookies. walk into any place like Dr. Quirkey's, the amount of old ladies addicted to the slots is scary.


As for me, I'll place a bet at Cheltenham usually, for about a tenner, and buy the odd scratch card. Yearly, I gamble about €25 and usually break even or win €100 ish.


I won't go higher than that because even though it's a bit of a laugh, I saw what gambling addiction and alcoholism did to my family so I'm incredibly careful around anything addictive nowadays.

Not sure if that gambling statement is tongue in cheek, the chances of winning year in year out on scratch cards are 0 ,or maybe you only recall the winners. I gamble a bit, but for small money, the big gambles i have taken have been on stocks and shares, had winners and losers ,i can see no difference between the 2,you try to get a little more info to make the right decision and hope for a bit of luck, same with property speculation etc ,yet they are viewed very differently

FalconGirl

Won €16k from €3 in poker a few years back. Would not have any interest in the sports betting.

ziedth

I'm a huge fan of it. Not as a form of making money now but as an experience I would get more laugh/buzz off a casino then I would in 100 pubs,clubs, stripclub and meals out.

If I was aware for a stag or something it would be at most €100 into the casino but in my head that money is gone and I gamble away until u loose that €100 whatever I ein in that time is put to the side and cashed out. Had some very decent wins doing that say taking home maybe between two and three hundred however on the absolute opposite end of the scale I dropped well over €2k when I went to Vegas high rolling (by my standards) for 8 nights.

Would throw maybe €40/50 at something like cheltenham over the course of a week.

Then every Friday all I would ever do is €2 on my 4 numbers for the euro millions and like €3 on something like a six bet accume over different sports that never comes in but it makes it interesting over the weekend.

I don't agree with the adds or anything like that on TV and if there was ever a day that I bet on something just to try and win money I would stop as I have seen what conic gambling has done to people.

Outlaw Pete

I would guesstimate that a large chunk of the profit of the bookmarkers is actually social welfare money. Bookie shops are always full during the day and it is hardly being filled with people who are working, lets be honest. Racing seven days a week is being funded by bookmakers also and they are not sponsoring those races for fun. They are sponsoring them so that there will be racing there for those that would bet on two flies walking up a wall. Not that they need to now with the advent of virtual dog racing, virtual horse racing, virtual roulette, all of which are shoehorned between the gaps in the actual dog racing and horse racing.

Mr_Muffin

I usually spend a 5 euro a week on the soccer - i find it makes it more interesting and it's something i have control over, i can go months without betting and not even notice.

I worked in a bookies briefly and it really opened my eyes to how people think they can 'beat the bookies'. The amount of people who 'had a tip for a horse that's a sure thing' was laughable. Sometimes every horse in a race would be a tip that someone got wind of!

zSparc

I've tried a few times, never won anything and scrapped the whole idea as useless.

cantdecide

If I have a €5 note, I'd rather spend it rather than it and maybe lose it chasing either a rush or the chance of free money. There's nothing in gambling of interest to me.

Those bingo app ads make my teeth itch- Bored? Try gambling- it's easy!

A_Sober_Paddy

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Don't know any regular gamblers who make money from it, once in a blue moon they announce some coup but God love them you know they've pumped a lot more in over the years.

Go over to the football betting forum, couple of lads on there make a decent wedge most monthd

I enjoy gambling and am ahead overall since I started. I only bet spare cash in small amounts on long odds and it's worked for me. I know far too many people who are problem gamblers and it's one addiction I find really hard to understand. I just don't see the appeal of getting paid on a Friday and having nothing left by the time ya get home. I know there's a lot more to it than that but it just seems like a delusion or compulsion rather than an addiction in some ways.

Outlaw Pete

Outlaw Pete wrote: »

I would guesstimate that a large chunk of the profit of the bookmarkers is actually social welfare money. Bookie shops are always full during the day and it is hardly being filled with people who are working, lets be honest. Racing seven days a week is being funded by bookmakers also and they are not sponsoring those races for fun. They are sponsoring them so that there will be racing there for those that would bet on two flies walking up a wall. Not that they need to now with the advent of virtual dog racing, virtual horse racing, virtual roulette, all of which are shoehorned between the gaps in the actual dog racing and horse racing.

A fair bit would be but a lot of the bigger betters in physical shops would be part-timers, shift workers or labourers and the like who can get in in the afternoon/evening.

osarusan

I will put a couple of quid on a horse or football match every couple of weeks or so.

I might walk to the bookies later and put a bet on tonight's game between France and iceland, just to make it more interesting.

Bookies are depressing places to spend time though.

Muahahaha

I opened up my Paddy Power account about 8 years back with a deposit of €20. Since then its been as high as €110 and as low as €4 but never have I topped it up or withdrawn from it. Its currently at €72 as I won a nice few quid on backing Brexit but I've had three bets in the Euros and all three flopped. Most of my bets are €5 with the odd €10 one. For me its just a bit of fun and I get a kick that Paddy Power haven't made a cent off me yet.

On the flip side though addictive gambling is a real problem in Ireland. The gambling industry in Ireland also gets a free ride from government to cause societal problems without having to pay to clean up after. At least you can argue that alcohol and tobacco are taxed heavily to pay the costs of health services. But gambling gets off scot free.

ceadaoin.

I used to work in the gambling industry and would have the odd bet on sports or horse racing. Can't really be bothered now. I live in vegas and I enjoy playing the slots occasionally, maybe once a month. Usually I'd win a couple of hundred but if not it doesn't matter because I have a set budget and stop when I've spent it.

Most people gamble within their means and don't have a problem IME.

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5

Every few weeks I get a euro millions, spend the money in my head for the following few days, and then get irrationally annoyed when I don't win. OH puts a few bets on horses and soccer, only ever small ones and I don't think he ever expects to win. Gets me to pick the things for accumulators sometimes, with my system being along the lines of "ooh Chrystal Palace that sounds pretty!" so far haven't won any

Also the wishful thinking bets on Newcastle. Bless.

fryup

just lost a tenner tonight on the match:( it really is a mugs game

sword1

sword1 wrote: »

..... I gamble a bit, but for small money, the big gambles i have taken have been on stocks and shares, had winners and losers ,i can see no difference between the 2,you try to get a little more info to make the right decision and hope for a bit of luck, same with property speculation etc ,yet they are viewed very differently

They are viewed differently as the bookies gross profit margin per event can be calculated easily and quickly. The effect of their profit margin is that the bookie wins and the punter loses. For those who can't understand this the phrase "mugs game" is a helpful everyday explanation.

Stocks & property speculation aren't at all comparable to sports betting.

I bet relatively frequently (at race meetings) as a leisure activity, the bookies are welcome to whatever they get from me

Muahahaha

Muahahaha wrote: »

At least you can argue that alcohol and tobacco are taxed heavily to pay the costs of health services. But gambling gets off scot free.

There is a 1% tax on all takings from betting shops nationwide. Bookmakers pay it on behalf of the customer. It's thousands per shop per week.

FortySeven

When I lived in Poland I had a go at roulette because the staff in the casino spoke English and I was in need of my own language. Lost a fair bit but it was causing issues for me at home for staying out late. Joined an online thing and had a go while drinking a few beers. Lost a month's wages in a few hours. Never gambled again. I've an awful addictive personality.

DontThankMe

Yes i have purchased too many €20 scratchcards than i would like to remember

maryishere

Grayson wrote: »

A report released by paddy power found that up to 2/3 of people who gamble online are addicted to gambling. It's an industry that feeds off addicts and lives of their misery.

That doesn't mean that I'm against gambling in it's entirety. I just think there should be limits in place by the major companies and financial institutions to stop people at a certain point. I knew a girl who got married and after the wedding she discovered that her husband had over 300k in gambling debts. His parents had even signed off on loans so he could keep gambling. How the hell can a bank and the gambling companies allow that kind of **** to happen.

Wow, scary stuff. I think in future there should be more restriction on gambling, lives can be seriously destroyed by it. I know one or two people here in Dublin who do well out of the gambling business (the house never loses), but to me its not an ethical business to be in. It reminds me of what the tobacco business used to be like many many decades ago, before people were really educated about the dangers.

BorneTobyWilde

fryup wrote: »

just lost a tenner tonight on the match:( it really is a mugs game

ONly a tenner.
I'll send you 50.00 hows that

BorneTobyWilde

ON paper so easy to win. But never works out in practice /??? Why is that?

No one can beat me on paper.

diomed

I gamble all the time. Profit for the last three months is €7,887.51. I've had a losing day.
My gambling is small. The profit is from a €50 deposit earlier in the year. Profit year-to-date is probably about €9k but I can't view past 3 months ago.

Gambling addiction is gambling by losers. They don't work at it.
Betting is great. Highly recommended.

Atlantic Dawn

Lots of gambling going on now on risky shares and property without any of the same stigma atrached to it as the bookies. Plenty of people still pumping money in to Irish bank shares, insane is the only word, backing Iceland tonight had more of a chance of a return.

NIMAN

dan1895 wrote: »

As a side. The amount of ads for gambling companies on during the Euros is sickening.

Ever listen to TalkSport in the UK.

For every 10 adverts, 9 are for gambling sites, with the 10th being for Screwfix or some company van rental.

Obviously the station is aimed at white van man who likes a flutter.

Re: gambling itself. I used to do the odd £2 or £3 bet on the EPL maybe 20yrs back, when you had to walk to a bookies and write out your bet. I rarely won, but felt I wasn't losing much.

I gave it a break for quite a few years but have opened PP or William Hill accounts in the last 6 or 7 years, and maybe spent about £20 on each of them, again winning nothing. Again lost interest in it all.

I do work with some guys who love to tell you how much they won on the Golf or the horses, they never tell you how much they are losing though.

The thing I find shocking now is the amount people are putting on. A decade ago, people would stick a few quid on an accum on a Saturday to give them an interest in the football. Now I know of people who think nothing of betting £50 or £100 on a single team or a double. I know people who bet during the night on football on the other side of the world. On teams they have never seen play, ever or ever will. I do worry about their addiction, especially when they have yougn kids. Its a mugs game.

But then again, didn't a lot of people in this country gamble on a completely different level back in the 00s? I was chatting to a guy the other day, maybe 35 years old. He owes the bank €150k due to failed property deals. Some of the people backing football teams will never owe that sort of money.

The flying mouse

Put something on a match or whatever if all the lads are doing it otherwise couldn't be bothered. I actually cant stand horse racing of any sort.

robbiezero

What I think is a disgrace is the way bookies can restrict you if you are winning.
Last year Skybet were the first to price up the Clare-Offaly hurling qualifier and they put the handicap at 9 points which was very generous to Clare. I opened an account with them and had 500 on that, it duly won easily enough and soon after the game I got an email from them to say my account was going to be restricted from then on.

Burial.

I gamble a bit. I play poker whenever I can and I bet on a few sports. I did a thing this year where I started with a tenner and see how far it can take me. Its now over 10k after a France -2 bet came through last night. It's not for everyone but when you get a knack for it, it's a great way to make money pretty handily.

donegaLroad

Online poker, you will never really win playing online poker. It is such a scam.


By the way, I heard from our local enterprise office that when they receive an application for funding or startup capital, they ask the applicant for 6 months of bank statements, and the only reason they do is to check that a person has any gambling related activity on their card or account.

If there is any evidence of gambling then the application will more than likely be refused.

closcriobh

I'm a huge racing fan so naturally that entails a bit of betting. I spend around €20 betting per month and although I know it's a bad habit and despise the bookmaking industry, I do feel I get value for money for my €20. Worst part is actually having to set foot in a bookies though. My word; a greyhound race every four minutes, Chilean and South African racing - horrific places.

valoren

donegaLroad wrote: »

Online poker, you will never really win playing online poker. It is such a scam.


By the way, I heard from our local enterprise office that when they receive an application for funding or startup capital, they ask the applicant for 6 months of bank statements, and the only reason they do is to check that a person has any gambling related activity on their card or account.

If there is any evidence of gambling then the application will more than likely be refused.

Same with mortgage applications. Very thorough examination of accounts and reasonably so.

Atlantic Dawn

valoren wrote: »

Same with mortgage applications. Very thorough examination of accounts and reasonably so.

But common knowledge now and so easy to get around with other ways to deposit money and withdraw, those with a problem will have it well hidden.