Gambling problem in Ireland

Caveman1 · 11-01-2013 05:24PM #1

Ok so I done a quick search on this and there's threads from 5 years ago so I decided to start another one.

Has anyone noticed how crazy Ireland has gone on gambling?

I gamble on a regular basis (once or twice a week) on football. When I first started gambling I would back horses, dogs, virtuals etc.

I quickly realised how dangerous it was to get caught up in so I stopped gambling on all sports except football, which I wouldn't spend more than 10e a week on.

I know people who gamble all their wages on a regular basis and borrow money just to gamble. Now thats their own business but recently i've noticed a lot of the bookmakers shops that have kids (15+) in them placing bets.

Also you can't walk 100 yards through town without walking past a bookies, arcade or a casino.

My main problem with all this is that its too easy to get caught up in a gambling addiction, especially when people will eventually turn to crime to feed their addiction.

Does anyone else think that Ireland has gone overboard with gambling?

Fishooks13 · 11-01-2013 05:27PM

If you're stupid enough to gamble more than you can afford you don't deserve the money anyway

Mr Benevolent · 11-01-2013 05:27PM

I say this from costly experience: A gambling addiction is the addicts own fault. If they have the money to gamble they need to think before handing it over. There's no-one else to blame, try as they might.

Micky Dolenz · 11-01-2013 05:28PM

I bet you there isn't any gambling problems.

gobnaitolunacy · 11-01-2013 05:32PM

Get this: the house always wins.
Bookies aren't charities.

I just ignore them. I did dabble with a roulette wheel in a casino once, made a few small wins.
Had another go and back to square one and walked away.

Edit: I think it's worse in Australia, its really in your face there, seemed like everyone betted on the AFL in the pubs.
And massive fcuk off casinos, not the little farty ones like here.

Caveman1 · 11-01-2013 05:33PM

Confab wrote: »

I say this from costly experience: A gambling addiction is the addicts own fault. If they have the money to gamble they need to think before handing it over. There's no-one else to blame, try as they might.

I know what you mean but surely making it so easy to gamble isnt helping, having casinos open all night and bookies on every corner etc.

rgmmg · 11-01-2013 05:34PM

If I woke up tomorrow and no one could gamble I wouldn't grumble. If nothing else, it would get horse racing off the tv!!

Juwwi · 11-01-2013 05:35PM

I started to get the shakes christmas day because the bookies
was closed.

Luckily l talked my granny into a game of texas holdem and all was grand.

Mr. CooL ICE · 11-01-2013 05:35PM

I know plenty who gamble, but only know of one person who had gambling problems. He ran up tons of debt by using about 20 credit cards and skipped the country. Nobody knows where he is now.

Online gambling can be dangerously easy to get into, but the online gambling firms only facilitate it. It's up to the person who makes the bets to hand their money over.

Hippies! · 11-01-2013 05:36PM

Caveman1 wrote: »

I know what you mean but surely making it so easy to gamble isnt helping, having casinos open all night and bookies on every corner etc.

Actually it helps quite a bit, makes life so much more convenient :P

ejmaztec · 11-01-2013 05:36PM

Pippa Middleton's Arse wrote: »

I bet you there isn't any gambling problems.

It was a dead cert that someone was going to say that.

P_1 · 11-01-2013 05:37PM

Caveman1 wrote: »

I know what you mean but surely making it so easy to smoke isn't helping, having shops/kiosks/vending machines open all night and shops selling cigarettes on every corner etc.

Tbh you could apply the same analogy to smoking...

Is it up to the state to step in and regulate people's lives to such a degree?

squod · 11-01-2013 05:38PM

Caveman1 wrote: »

.

Does anyone else think that Ireland has gone overboard with gambling?

Gone to the dogs so it has. Seriously though, titty bars would be a lot less of a problem. They'd create more jobs and we'd have less people littering the street with betting slips.

We need a titty bar campaign. Who's with me?

Caveman1 · 11-01-2013 05:39PM

LordChessington wrote: »

I know plenty who gamble, but only know of one person who had gambling problems. He ran up tons of debt by using about 20 credit cards and skipped the country. Nobody knows where he is now.

Online gambling can be dangerously easy to get into, but the online gambling firms only facilitate it. It's up to the person who makes the bets to hand their money over.

The thing is though, not every person with a gambling problem is going to tell you, more times or not you'd never expect it.

Caveman1 · 11-01-2013 05:40PM

pithater1 wrote: »

Tbh you could apply the same analogy to smoking...

Is it up to the state to step in and regulate people's lives to such a degree?

Suppose thats true but as bad as smoking is, I don't think you'd have people out stealing just to get 20 smokes.

McGrath5 · 11-01-2013 05:41PM

My brother works in the Paddy Power call centre, he once had a customer place a €15k bet on a horse race, he lost.

Caveman1 · 11-01-2013 05:43PM

Perfect Choice wrote: »

My brother works in the Paddy Power call centre, he once had a customer place a €15k bet on a horse race, he lost.

I'm sure someone like that must have a lot of money to be able to do bets like that. Although it could be someone just using a credit card.

Juwwi · 11-01-2013 05:44PM

Caveman1 wrote: »

Suppose thats true but as bad as smoking is, I don't think you'd have people out stealing just to get 20 smokes.

I think the sort of people who go out steeling are feeding a different sort of habit than gambling .

markesmith · 11-01-2013 05:45PM

Outside of my work, the next six doors are pub-bookie-pub-bookie-shop-pub.

I never go into the shop, there's always some eejit buying scratchcards.

There are always the same people hanging outside the bars/bookies.

If I was Paddy Power I'd by lobbying to allow bookies to sell alcohol, you could run the bar at a loss but then you've got a completely captive audience.

Dodge · 11-01-2013 05:45PM

Perfect Choice wrote: »

My brother works in the Paddy Power call centre, he once had a customer place a €15k bet on a horse race, he lost.

Which means he had 15k in his account. So its his money to lose...

There's certainly a gambling culture in Ireland. I don't see it as a problem. People with addictive personalities will find something else to latch on to and I don't think we should take away something that millions enjoy responsibly (and provides thousands with employment) to appease them

Caveman1 · 11-01-2013 05:47PM

robbie1977 wrote: »

I think the sort of people who go out steeling are feeding a different sort of habit than gambling .

Not necessarily true, I'm sure someone who has lost all their wages and needs to pay bill, rent etc would contemplate stealing.

Zebra3 · 11-01-2013 05:49PM

Caveman1 wrote: »

I know people who gamble all their wages on a regular basis

How many?

Micky Dolenz · 11-01-2013 05:49PM

ejmaztec wrote: »

It was a dead cert that someone was going to say that.

I'd have thought there was an evens chance at least.

Caveman1 · 11-01-2013 05:50PM

Dodge wrote: »

Which means he had 15k in his account. So its his money to lose...

There's certainly a gambling culture in Ireland. I don't see it as a problem. People with addictive personalities will find something else to latch on to and I don't think we should take away something that millions enjoy responsibly (and provides thousands with employment) to appease them

I wouldn't be in favour of completely banning gambling, the main problem I have with it is the amount of young people you now see in bookies & casinos. I'd be more in favour of just having certain times you can open up, and not having places open 24/7.

AnonoBoy · 11-01-2013 05:51PM

This thread has reminded me about gambling.

Just stuck a few bets on the Oscars, the football and the Spanish U-21 handball championships.

I wasn't using that 2k in my savings account anyway, it might as well be out in the world earning me money!

Caveman1 · 11-01-2013 05:52PM

Zebra3 wrote: »

How many?

I know quite a few, I used to work in a pub so I'd see people gambling all their money every day.

MonkstownHoop · 11-01-2013 05:52PM

i actually enjoy horse racing and betting on them, if im bored on a weekday off work ill always check the racing, id never never gamble more than i could afford though

x43r0 · 11-01-2013 05:53PM

Homer:Remember when I let that escaped lunatic in the house 'cause he
was dressed like Santa Claus?
Marge: Hmm.
Homer: Well, that's nothing, because YOU have a gambling problem!

SirDelboy18 · 11-01-2013 05:57PM

I'll throw something serious in here.

Very dangerous addiction because there are no obvious physical ill effects. With a drug addict you can tell, with an alcoholic you can tell - Gambling addiction can easily go very unnoticed.

It is also the only addiction where a person thinks doing it more is the only way to stop.

In addition, it is much easier to do than other vices with various shops, lotterys, online betting etc.

The gamblers own fault it may be, but it is easy to be so judgmental.

Rasheed · 11-01-2013 06:00PM

I feel so sorry for anyone with a gambling problem.

Not just the bookies or casino scene either. It's very easy to play online now. And harder to detect, no smell of alcohol, tell tail sign of drugs.

Hopefully none of your families are ever touched by the destructiveness of gambling because its horrifically addictive and very hard to beat.

Caveman1 · 11-01-2013 06:02PM

SirDelboy18 wrote: »

I'll throw something serious in here.

Very dangerous addiction because there are no obvious physical ill effects. With a drug addict you can tell, with an alcoholic you can tell - Gambling addiction can easily go very unnoticed.

It is also the only addiction where a person thinks doing it more is the only way to stop.

In addition, it is much easier to do than other vices with various shops, lotterys, online betting etc.

The gamblers own fault it may be, but it is easy to be so judgmental.

Exactly, there's only so much drink someone can have or drugs someone can take, but if a gambler has access to funds he could gamble till there's nothing left.

I actually seen a doc about gambling in Las Vegas, Theres people who leave their jobs on Friday afternoon & drive straight to Vegas to gamble non-stop till Monday morning when they're back in work.

Gambling problem in Ireland

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