How big a problem is gambling in Ireland?

risteard7 wrote: »

If I ever had the opportunity to start a business I would definitely open a bookies shop. Guaranteed to make money.

that's not entirely true, bookies do go out of business sometimes...even the big ones!

While I don't agree with banning gambling, it certainly needs to be heavily regulated. Yes, it's a business that is always going to exist but the reality is that it is an activity which is socially destructive and as such wider society has a right to curtail it as much as practicable. Like many of our laws, people often need to be protected from themselves.

Where I live in London they are opening up at an astonishing rate; with the wider shop simply acting as a conduit through which to bring in electronic gaming machines. These bookies are often set up suspiciously near to Job Centres, mental health hospitals etc. Personally I don't think large corporations who profit from addiction and desperation should have a free reign to establish themselves wherever and whenever they want.

I don't support the criminalisation of gambling, but I do believe the amount of bookies should be tightly regulated and advertising for it should be banned completely.

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

Are these opt out forms for life? How do they implement it? Wouldn't surprise if they were not for life btw.

self exclusion can be for a period of time of the requester's choice. Life , 6 months 12 months, 2 years. Whatever they want.

Knob Longman wrote: »

Putting Gambling into the hands of criminals is a great idea.

What do you about Las Vegas? Gambling was how criminals went "legit", how they laundered money gained from other criminal activities. Normally laundering costs money, but this way they could use it to make even more money legally. Even with regulation, allowing people to gamble is still a great way to make money.

Here's what Paddy Power says, on the "Why Invest With Us? web page:

And we’re certainly proud of the rate we’re growing: between our first full year as a public company in 2001 and the end of 2012, the Paddy Power Group has achieved compound annual growth of 25% in revenues, 30% in earnings per share, and 33% in dividends per share. So: how are we keeping it up?

While we are always ready to adapt to changes in taxation, regulation, or competition, our business strategy is consistent: to identify large, attractive, regulated markets; and to invest heavily in people, product, value and brand, and leverage its strengths in areas such as mobile and social media, to deliver strong market positions. This strategy has generated strong payback in existing markets and given us the flexibility to enter new ones.

Translation: "we're confident we're going to make lots of money regardless of changes in regulation".

mdwexford wrote: »

The tax still exists, the bookmaker just pay it themselves these days.

Addicts and degenerates will always find something to be addicted to or a way to blow their money.

Banning gambling is such a nonsense suggestion.
Why should a legitimate form of entertainment be removed from people's lives because a small percentage of people have no self control.

One could say the same thing about cannabis and other "drugs". Plenty of people use them and maintain functioning work and social lives.

mdwexford wrote: »

Yes because taking drugs which damage your health and are illegal and having a bet or a game of poker are the same thing.

Oh wait, they aren't even close.

Alcohol and cigarettes damage your health quite badly so I don't see your point.

Gambling is an addiction as much as drugs or anything else you'd care to mention.

Akrasia wrote: »

Of course they're close.
Smoking a Joint or two at the weekend is no more damaging than putting a fiver on a horse or the premiership

Smoking joints first thing every morning and continuing all day long is comparably as damaging as excessive gambling.

People steal money to buy drugs, people steal money to gamble.

Drugs can rob people of their future
Gamling can rob people of everything they have and it can drive families apart.

Tell that to your lungs.

As I said maybe some scummy tiny percentage will steal to fund their gambling.
That is their own problem and issue and the rest of the world shouldn't be deprived of a fully legal entertainment source because some degenerates have no willpower.

mdwexford wrote: »

Any of my friends who smoke weed let it rob them of their ambition and are so lazy after smoking they don't want to move. It costs a lot of money and causes health and fitness issues.

That's using it for medical purposes which is not comparable to smoking it recreationally.

The only way gambling causes major problems is if you gamble money you can't afford to lose.

Most the weed smokers I know are people who don't even remotely fit the stoner stereotype. Some do and I've had the misfortune of living with them so I'd agree with your initial point to an extent.

The comparison I'm trying to draw is that a lot of people use both in moderation so the harm is reduced. Some over-indulge leading to a mixture of problems.

I work in a betting office and ive offen refused guys bet if i think there betting too much

It's not up to companies to provide or encourage personal responsibility. I had a gambling problem for about 6 months and it wiped out my finances. It took 6 years to repay the debts and now I'm an compulsive saver instead. It is the responsibility of the person with the problem to realize the issue and change their habits.