Gambling problem in Ireland

mikom · 11-01-2013 06:05PM

I blame cannabis...

Seedy Arling · 11-01-2013 06:08PM

Around where i live three bookies have shut down, sign of the times that the recession is even affecting them.

I know a young guy with a very serious problem. He has been away to different places trying to address it, but to no success. Any money he earns he gambles it. In the past he has borrowed/stolen money without repaying it.

It's very sad for the guy because it really has a hold on him. He's only 24. He has limited interest in women or drinking. It's all gamble, gamble, gamble.

Motivator · 11-01-2013 06:09PM

I worked in the industry for the guts of 15 years, in that time I saw a lot of stuff I wish I didn't i.e. grown men crying because they've lost money they couldn't afford to etc. I love the industry, I made a lot of money out of it & my opinion is that if people walk through the doors then what they do inside is their own business & nobody is holding a gun to their head.

I had a woman come into the shop one day calling me a scumbag for taking her husband's money after he had gone home & told her his wages went on a horse. She ranted & raved saying she wanted the money back because they couldn't afford to feed their child. After a long arguement with her I finally got her out of the shop. The next day I was behind her in the newsagents down the road & saw her spending €80 on lotto tickets & scratchcards. She accused me of brainwashing her husband into gambling yet she was blowing €80 on the lottery? Gambling is everywhere & anywhere in Ireland & many view bookmakers as a scourge on society. In my opinion I don't see much difference between a bookies & cigarettes, alcohol, lottery tickets scratchcards & even excessive shopping. All are seen as addictions but to single out gambling is unfair as the industry employs about 5,000 people in Ireland.

Death and Taxes · 11-01-2013 06:10PM

Pippa Middleton's Arse wrote: »

I bet you there isn't any gambling problems.

€50 says there is!
And double or quits the fly on the left moves first!:D:D:D:D

Hank Scorpio · 11-01-2013 06:17PM

I don't gamble, those who play against me, they gamble

Caveman1 · 11-01-2013 06:18PM

Seedy Arling wrote: »

Around where i live three bookies have shut down, sign of the times that the recession is even affecting them.

I know a young guy with a very serious problem. He has been away to different places trying to address it, but to no success. Any money he earns he gambles it. In the past he has borrowed/stolen money without repaying it.

It's very sad for the guy because it really has a hold on him. He's only 24. He has limited interest in women or drinking. It's all gamble, gamble, gamble.

This is the sort of thing that I'm talking about, his life will probably always blighted by this, its very unfortunate that this happens to people through any addiction.

For the record I enjoy watching horse racing and doing my football bets, I just don't see why there has to be so many gambling establishments on every street, some that don't close.

I understand it brings in taxes etc but with so many young people getting addicted every day I think it will cause more trouble in the long run.

eh i dunno · 11-01-2013 06:18PM

Have heard some horror stories myself about lads owing thousands. Like a bet myself but 20 quid a week is my max and most weeks less than that. Same cost as 4 pints and im in full employment so can afford it. I dont know how people can function when putting thousands on a bet

mikom · 11-01-2013 06:20PM

Seedy Arling wrote: »

Around where i live three bookies have shut down, sign of the times that the recession is even affecting them.

More a sign of the digital age.

byronbay2 · 11-01-2013 06:26PM

There are definitely a lot of people in Ireland with a gambling problem. Scientific evidence in other countries has shown that approximately 1.4% of people who gamble are pathological gamblers; this would imply approx. 63,000 in Ireland. There has never been a Gambling Prevalence Study in Ireland but I believe that we would be at least average - I believe higher, due to our impulsive and addictive nature.
When I was growing up (I'm mid-40s), you could only bet on racing and soccer (and then only on The Pools - minimum 5-folds). The bookies opened at 10 and closed at 5. You couldn't see any races, only hear commentary. The only live sport was Saturday racing and the occasional live soccer match. The internet was only a twinkle in Tim Berners-Lee's eye. Notice any difference between then and now?? You can gamble on live sport worldwide, 24/7 without ever leaving your bed!
As others have said, it's impossible to spot a compulsive gambler - you've definitely stood beside a few in the bookies without ever realising. Fewer than 1% ever look for help and (as others have said) it is very hard to kick - the treatment programme is longer than for either drug or alcohol addiction.
I'm not going to give a big spiel about the subject now (I have some knowledge but not from personal experience) but suffice to say that I am disgusted with the way the gambling operators (bookies, casinos, arcades, bingo halls, lotteries, in-line etc.) in this country deal with the issue. They pay lip service to Responsible Gambling but do absolutely nothing to promote prevention or help people with a problem.
I will leave you with one more, very relevant, statistic: PROBLEM GAMBLERS ACCOUNT FOR 53% OF BOOKMAKERS PROFITS!

Zebra3 · 11-01-2013 06:29PM

Caveman1 wrote: »

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

But obviously they were spending money in the pub yet you claimed they spent all their money on gambling.

It seems you haven't a clue what you are talking about.

Caveman1 · 11-01-2013 06:36PM

Zebra3 wrote: »

But obviously they were spending money in the pub yet you claimed they spent all their money on gambling.

It seems you haven't a clue what you are talking about.

How have I not got a clue? Cop on ffs.

Ive seen lads come in for a pint and would literally take a sup from it and be gone for hours then have to borrow money or just head home cause they've blown everything.

If you want to go nit picking do it on another thread I'm only looking for peoples opinions on gambling, not stupid comments.

Zebra3 · 11-01-2013 06:46PM

Caveman1 wrote: »

How have I not got a clue? Cop on ffs.

Ive seen lads come in for a pint and would literally take a sup from it and be gone for hours then have to borrow money

Why would someone come into a pub, buy a pint, take a sip and disappear for hours?

You claimed people spent all their money on gambling, now you're saying they also spent their money on other things.

Bit of consistency if you're gonna make things up. :rolleyes:

Grayson · 11-01-2013 06:51PM

I read a report that estimated that up to 1/3 of all people who gamble online are addicted. Personally, I think that the bookmaking business is run by scum. They are well aware of the addiction issue but don't care.

Can you imagine if pharmacists sold drugs to addicts? Gambling ruins just as many lives as hard drugs, probably more because lets face it, there are more gamblers than heroin users.

BlatentCheek · 11-01-2013 06:51PM

Ppl should have the freedom to gamble all their money away, not least because attempts elsewhere by the state to prevent it merely creates a market for organised crime.

However, businesses based on gambling should have similar advertising restrictions and vice taxes as any other addictive pursuit IMO; tax breaks for our horse industry in this context are simply obscene

Caveman1 · 11-01-2013 06:53PM

Zebra3 wrote: »

Why would someone come into a pub, buy a pint, take a sip and disappear for hours?

You claimed people spent all their money on gambling, now you're saying they also spent their money on other things.

Bit of consistency if you're gonna make things up. :rolleyes:

They would spend their whole day in a bookies gambling, most likely lose their money.

I said i've seen people gamble and lose all their wages, can people have no other money on them when they get paid no?

Stop trolling.

AngeGal · 11-01-2013 06:54PM

Zebra3 wrote: »

Why would someone come into a pub, buy a pint, take a sip and disappear for hours?

You claimed people spent all their money on gambling, now you're saying they also spent their money on other things.

Bit of consistency if you're gonna make things up. :rolleyes:

To be fair I have seen people do similar, walk in order pint, head into bookies next door and not come back for an hour or two. Fairly rare obviously but it does happen.

P_1 · 11-01-2013 07:13PM

Some people spend more money than they should gambling
Some people spend more money than they should smoking
Some people spend more money than they should drinking
Some people spend more money than they should shopping
Some people spend more money than they should by using too much electricity

Should we ban gambling/smoking/drinking/shopping/using too much electricity for everybody based on some people spending more money than they should on it?

I'd say no to that.

Grayson · 11-01-2013 08:55PM

pithater1 wrote: »

Some people spend more money than they should gambling
Some people spend more money than they should smoking
Some people spend more money than they should drinking
Some people spend more money than they should shopping
Some people spend more money than they should by using too much electricity

Should we ban gambling/smoking/drinking/shopping/using too much electricity for everybody based on some people spending more money than they should on it?

I'd say no to that.

Smoking is taxed and the amount of nicotine in a cigarette is regulated.
Drinking is a problem too, but when people are alcoholics, they suffer serious health effects. Most people are more likely to go broke from drinking because they have lost their jobs. Some barmen will cut off alcoholics. I've never heard of anyone ever getting cut off in a bookies and even if they were, could they do it online? and 1/3 of drinkers are not alcoholics. And as other people have pointed out, no-one thinks that they'll be able to quit if they go on a bender. gamblers always think, after this win....

Shopping is necessary unless you want to grow your own vegetables and make your own clothes.

Gambling gives no benefit. It can be fun to have a bit of a flutter, but on a regular basis it's useless.
The system is designed to suck every last penny from a person who's addicted.

Personally, I'd regulate it. make it impossible to place a bet over X amount and more than a certain amount per day. Possibly raise those amounts or remove the number of events you can bet on racedays at events.

P_1 · 11-01-2013 09:54PM

Grayson wrote: »

Smoking is taxed and the amount of nicotine in a cigarette is regulated.
Drinking is a problem too, but when people are alcoholics, they suffer serious health effects. Most people are more likely to go broke from drinking because they have lost their jobs. Some barmen will cut off alcoholics. I've never heard of anyone ever getting cut off in a bookies and even if they were, could they do it online? and 1/3 of drinkers are not alcoholics. And as other people have pointed out, no-one thinks that they'll be able to quit if they go on a bender. gamblers always think, after this win....

Shopping is necessary unless you want to grow your own vegetables and make your own clothes.

Gambling gives no benefit. It can be fun to have a bit of a flutter, but on a regular basis it's useless.
The system is designed to suck every last penny from a person who's addicted.

Personally, I'd regulate it. make it impossible to place a bet over X amount and more than a certain amount per day. Possibly raise those amounts or remove the number of events you can bet on racedays at events.

Gambling is also taxed, it's just that the bookie pays it themselves rather than passing the tax on to the punters.
Bookies are known to cut people off, admittedly, that's when the person in question tends to win more than they lose.

In relation to shopping, how do you explain the people who max out their cards buying tat that they don't realistically need?

I suppose this could be part of a broader debate: i.e. should the state interfere in a person's private life by regulating what they can and cannot do of a certain activity is legal? I.e. should the majority have to suffer because of the actions of the minority?

weldoninhio · 11-01-2013 11:00PM

Grayson wrote: »

Smoking is taxed and the amount of nicotine in a cigarette is regulated.
Drinking is a problem too, but when people are alcoholics, they suffer serious health effects. Most people are more likely to go broke from drinking because they have lost their jobs. Some barmen will cut off alcoholics. I've never heard of anyone ever getting cut off in a bookies and even if they were, could they do it online? and 1/3 of drinkers are not alcoholics. And as other people have pointed out, no-one thinks that they'll be able to quit if they go on a bender. gamblers always think, after this win....

Shopping is necessary unless you want to grow your own vegetables and make your own clothes.

Gambling gives no benefit. It can be fun to have a bit of a flutter, but on a regular basis it's useless.
The system is designed to suck every last penny from a person who's addicted.

Personally, I'd regulate it. make it impossible to place a bet over X amount and more than a certain amount per day. Possibly raise those amounts or remove the number of events you can bet on racedays at events.

Costs the health system millions, gambling addicts cost the taxpayer nothing. Let them at it.

byronbay2 · 12-01-2013 03:06AM

weldoninhio wrote: »

Costs the health system millions, gambling addicts cost the taxpayer nothing. Let them at it.

God almighty - that's your rationale for acting (or otherwise) to help people with addiction issues!! As my dad used to say:I hope it stays fine for you!!

yomamma · 22-02-2013 03:41PM

Im a 23 and I am a chronic gambler. Gambling since i was 16. Got my first job when I was 18 and worked up till 22 years of age. I always got paid by the month.

I used to get paid average 2 grand every month in all my jobs. When I was living at home I never had rent to give to my mam, I never went out with my friends to socialise, I never went on hollidays.I never had money for food in work and I never had money to pay for train fair. All my money goes on gambling. I have easily gambled over 1 million euro (Not lost or won a million but gambled a million easily!!!). I would get my 2 grand I would either have it all lost the day i get paid or if I won then I had more money to gamble which would last at max 3/4 days. I might have won 3 grand but I still wouldnt buy clothes for myself or my train ticket as if I spend that money on other things then I have less to gamble with (Might sound weird but thats what happens) I could go betting thousands one day and after losing it then I would steal coins from my mams bag or off people in works desk to throw on a dog or a horse.If I had money I would go to bookies shop every morning break and lunch break. Even when I didnt have money I would go to the bookies cause I didnt want to be around anyone else going for there lunch time walk etc...

As I said I got paid by the month and this is gods honest truth There was not one month in 4 years that I had money after the first week of getting. I would lose my months wages, suffer for three weeks and when I get paid saying I wont do it again but obviously I did. I have also often lost my months wages before I even arrive into work on payday. Money would come in at 12am I would go on the internet and I would play until it was time to go to work. I would arrive into work, everybody in good mood cause it was payday and I couldnt even buy myself a sandwich.

When living in familly home all this was going on. I never left my house and i Was stealing money from my parents. Sneaking into their room while they were sleeping and taking money etc... I was asked to leave house one year ago at age of 22. I found a place to rent. Again I was getting paid by the month. I would get my months wages and blow it all very quickly. This time its a landlords rent so if I didnt pay then I was out. I had to get someone to help me out first month to pay my months rent and bring food to me for the month. I would get paid and not pay this person back as I would have gambled my months wages. Again I needed money to pay rent and get food for the month. I would get a different person to help me out and same thing would happen. This happend for 6 months every single month, getting help off 6 different people for food and rent. Anyway I ended up going to treatment after 6 months. I spent 4 months in treatment.When I was in treatment I was on welfare so that paid for it. When I left treatment I got help off someone to pay a deposit for me on a house and I was using rent allowance. I lasted three weeks cause I went back gambling.

I have now been homeless for three months. 6 weeks of this has been living on the streets and for last 1 and half months I have been living in a homeless hostel. I get my welfare every thursday and Not once have I had money on the friday within this three month period. I have to get manager of hostel to walk down with me to post office every thursday to pay the rent cause if he doesnt I would risk my rent money on gambling.

Anyway so thats were I am today. I am still a young man but gambling has destroyed my life. I know its only me that can help myself but I have a serious gambling addiction and I know that there are many more out there just like me. The only difference it has to other addictions is that it is not visible but it is just as dangerous and damaging. I dont blame the bookies or anyone else for what I have been through but looking at the amount of bookie shops and the age of people going to them is getting worse. It might not be seen as a serious danger to society yet but in the next 5-10 years treatment centers will be packed with gambling addicts. If I won 10 million in the lotto I would still gamble even though I dont need to do it.

brokenarms · 22-02-2013 03:57PM

I just lost 1 million chips on Zynga poker.

Gutted.

Blisterman · 22-02-2013 03:58PM

Gambling just a bit of fun? Look around a bookie or casino sometime and count how many people look like they're enjoying themselves.

FTA69 · 22-02-2013 04:06PM

Personally I find the amount of bookies springing up everywhere awfully depressing. Up the road from me in Tottenham there are at least five bookies visible on the high street, usually sandwiched between payday-loan companies, sh*t pubs and off licenses. Some of these have opened up next to mental hospitals and you can see two of them from the JobCentre (dole office.) Kids on their way to school will be constantly bombarded by displays advocating gambling and will unfortunately go home all too often to see more of the same in their house. It seems these businesses exist to extract profit from communities where desperation, joblessness and addiction are already rife.

I understand that people make their own choices. I also understand that pubs/bookies/off-licenses etc are amenities which people use responsibly and in the case of a good pub they're often valued focal points. However, nobody is an island and communities exist. Many working class communities are already under ferocious pressure these days without being constantly targeted by vultures seeking to prey on the misery and vulnerability of others.

I'm not saying that bookies etc should be abolished but there should be strict controls on the amount of these businesses which are allowed to set up in a given area.

FTA69 · 22-02-2013 04:10PM

Blisterman wrote: »

Gambling just a bit of fun? Look around a bookie or casino sometime and count how many people look like they're enjoying themselves.

It can be though, I gambled in Las Vegas and had a great laugh. I also saw a youngfella about my age lose $400 alone playing high card in the space of about a minute and a half while his girlfriend was crying next to him to stop. Even the dealer was telling him to quit but had no choice to deal once your man kept slamming down chips.

While people are able to make their own choices, it stands to logic that having bookies and whatnot saturate a community won't do much good for that area. It's not a coincidence most of them are in deprived areas to begin with.

muppetkiller · 22-02-2013 04:17PM

yomamma fair play to you for posting what you did. It takes guts to say that you've a problem . Gambling in ireland is a serious problem, Bookies are everywhere and online casinos can be accessed anywhere now.

The terrible thing about gambling addiction is that it's a hidden problem. Nobody can tell from looking at you that you've a problem and it's not like Drinking where you can only drink so much. You can literally Gamble every penny you have and there's nobody there to stop you when you've lost too much.

I think gambling online also affects your credit rating when it comes to getting Mortgages ? Might be wrong though.

kingcobra · 22-02-2013 04:20PM

There's barely images of him on Google Images, all they I can see are pictures of him in a beige jacket, nothing else other than that!

yomamma · 22-02-2013 04:27PM

muppetkiller wrote: »

yomamma fair play to you for posting what you did. It takes guts to say that you've a problem . Gambling in ireland is a serious problem, Bookies are everywhere and online casinos can be accessed anywhere now.

The terrible thing about gambling addiction is that it's a hidden problem. Nobody can tell from looking at you that you've a problem and it's not like Drinking where you can only drink so much. You can literally Gamble every penny you have and there's nobody there to stop you when you've lost too much.

I think gambling online also affects your credit rating when it comes to getting Mortgages ? Might be wrong though.

Cheers ye just feels good even posting that out.

Ye Online gambling does affect credit ratings. All my bank transactions are large withdrawals and online betting transactions. Lucky for me I have been refused loans because of this.

Henlars67 · 22-02-2013 04:47PM

Seedy Arling wrote: »

Around where i live three bookies have shut down, sign of the times that the recession is even affecting them.

I know a young guy with a very serious problem. He has been away to different places trying to address it, but to no success. Any money he earns he gambles it. In the past he has borrowed/stolen money without repaying it.

It's very sad for the guy because it really has a hold on him. He's only 24. He has limited interest in women or drinking. It's all gamble, gamble, gamble.

Read somewhere that the gambling industry is one of the few that doesn't take a massive hit in a recession. Don't know the reason for that.

The bookie shop is suffering as a result of more people doing their gambling online rather than a reduction in the amount of gambling.

Gambling problem in Ireland

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