I see gambling sites advertising on the sports channels have lines at the bottom of the screen like I Bet Responsibly and When the Funs Stops, Stop. Is it enough for the gambling websites to use their Gamble Aware lines? They are effectively saying “I bet resposibly” but not everybody does. They are saying “When it’s getting too addictive and you’re borrowing/stealing money you can’t pay back and spending the rent money then stop” Isn’t the gambler already addicted by then? Do many gamblers realise the fun is stopping and pull back just in time? Or do they forever have one last punt believing they can win back what they’ve lost. Even when they lose again they come back tomorrow. And have you noticed the betting adverts particularly on the Sky Sports channels? They talk of “Bet in Play” and suggest you can decide when to cash out your winnings. I imagine that’s true if you have any winnings but how many punters are looking at a screen with no winnings at all? It used to be a punt on a race(s) or the football pools. But now you can bet on the score at half-time, the next scorer, in fact almost any aspect of the game. That’s multiple choices to lose money and all done over 90 minutes. Is this just modern life or a step too far?

 

Could we adopt these lines for potential alcoholics? No, we couldn’t. Without a lifestyle change the cravings are too powerful to resist. The fun has stopped and now it’s just dependence. Drinking alcohol and gambling are lawful activities which many do responsibly. I can see it’s difficult to deal with what feels like an ever increasing number who don’t. Whose responsibility is it – the individual or the drink and gambling industries? Or both?

 

Perhaps less of sports channel betting adverts and less of the very addictive slot machines Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBT’s) in high street bookies? And managers who ask a punter to leave when he is losing his money and his temper. Likewise the pub manager who asks a customer to leave as s/he becomes the worse for wear. Both industries, I dare say, will tell you they do this already. But still we have problem gamblers and life-endangered alcoholics. Alcoholics probably don’t go to the pub as much as they did an one time as it’s too expensive. They buy cheap 2 ltr bottles of white cider from the corner shop and drink at home or in the park.

 

Gamblers were more limited but no more thanks to the gambling sites on the internet access via laptop, tablet or mobile phone. Emails giving a £5 free bet are common so if you were trying to stop, there’s another incentive to pull you back in. The game of choice on the FOBT is roulette apparently. You can leave the bookies and play roulette online The FOBT’s are the “crack cocaine” of gambling to the compulsive gambler. If it’s FOBT’s they crave , there are many bookies on the high street, often next door to each other. You can win a £500 pay out or lose as much in a very short time. The very people using these machines don’t have that sort of disposable income in their pockets in the first place. More betting shops and FOBT’s is a modern change which I’m not sure is for the better. Greater choice in the market is one thing – greater chance to do yourself harm quite a another.

 

So what is to be done to help those who cannot help themselves?