Amid the myriad of hypocrisies in life, is the embracing of the gambling industry and the revenue derived from it as an acceptable form of income for Government and other organizations such as sporting clubs etc. On one hand there is the anti gambling lobby suggesting the affects on family and business are such that new regulations are necessary or on the other hand the proponents of the industry are advocating less regulations.
Are the social consequences ie family breakdown, criminal activities etc etc linked to gambling to easily ignored when the money raised is used to fund in some instances, local sporting clubs.
How far should society go to protect individuals for themselves?, in the building industry, OHS regulations protect the lowest common denominator, whilst the AFL regulate that no one involved in the footy industry is allowed to bet on sport, whilst taking sponsorship to promote gambling .
Well it all does my head in how far the gambling industry has been allowed to entrench itself into the "norm" of social values but when its all said and done it all comes down to money, thats a sure bet

I've got $20 on Ireland. The winnings will go towards a broken heart on a pole, most likely.

Bigwavedave said...
Does anyone else think its the start of a slippery slope?

Yes: 1.25
No: 2.5

evlPanda said...

Bigwavedave said...
Does anyone else think its the start of a slippery slope?

Yes: 1.25
No: 2.5

RSC is that you?

They said football would end if cigarette advertising was banned. Here we are 15 or so years later but somehow people still play football? The only thing under threat are the big salaries of the administrators, they'e no better than a herion dealer.

Bigwavedave said...

I really get annoyed when the commentary team constantly talk about the odds for the match, first points, best player etc.

Came here to say that. Channel 9 sucks dogs balls. That is all I have to add.

Why should anyone or any organisation be able to tell someone whether they should gamble or not?

Yes gambling can be a problem for some people. I think the current pokie 'reforms' being proposed by the Wilkie and taken up by the federal ALP are anything but reforms. Its just more regulation in an increasingly regulated state.

What I'd like to see on pokies to display how much they've paid out compared to how much they have collected. This data would also updated in real time and published on a website.

This would allow punters to look at different machines and see whether they were worth playing. A machine that had taken in $200K and only paid out $20K wouldn't be a machine most people would want to play. Players could also go to the site and then see which machines and venues are greedy. Competition would increase between pubs and clubs to get the best balance between taking and giving. People would be less likely to go to venues where they will be ripped off. If all the venues are rip offs and people still play, then as fair as I was aware I was born in a reasonably free country where some politician can't tell people how to run their life.


Attempts to ban or restrict gambling usually fail. Some people will gamble no matter what. The only reason its regulated now is for governments to make their money. They are probably the biggest beneficiaries of gambling.

elmo said...

doggie said...

kiteboy dave said...

Bigwavedave said...

I really get annoyed when the commentary team constantly talk about the odds for the match, first points, best player etc.

Came here to say that. Channel 9 sucks dogs balls. That is all I have to add.

They havnt sucked mine lately, whats going on here!

I would have thought you'd remember that trip to the vet

I think I was sedated

Bigwavedave said...

I really get annoyed when the commentary team constantly talk about the odds for the match, first points, best player etc.

Does anyone else think its the start of a slippery slope?

Yes I do!

Imagine if the commentators were spruking good prices on smack or ice at half time.. and the argument for that was - 'well the taxes and profits go to sporting clubs/communities and so it is justified'.

Gambling is akin to a drug in my book and it is BS to say that 'most punters don't have a habit - so it is up to the individual'

When temptation is put under most people's noses too often and in a blind manner, as it is with gambling ads on all kn time now, it becomes a kn big honey pot for anyone with even a slight (or unknown) problem.

I have noticed a few friends sliding into gambling addiction. Their other mates are all obsessed by it. Obsessed IS the right word. The vast majority of their rec time is taken up with card games, trips to the Casino, horse racing (and ownership) online cards etc etc etc it is all pervading and encouraged on a daily basis by around the clock Teev ads and internerd bombardment.

Have discussed it and mates are in complete denial. Seems as obvious as dog's bollocks to me.

BTW - I suffered the worst working year of my life when I was 19 being harrassed and manipulated by a former boss when i worked in a bank. I had small, then medium and eventually LARGE anounts of $$ going missing from my float ever increasingly. Even my friends and those sympathetic to me distrusted me in the end. I was VERY stressed and not in a good way.

I knew all along of course it wasn't me.. and so did my boss. It was him. The bank was in vic Park (WA - a couple of kms from the only Casino here) and in the fullness of time (a couple of years later) the boss' gambling addiction and subsequent years of stealing were discovered. It was hush hushed to save the Wankbank's face and he was actually given a golden handshake!!

Saw him once several years later and was very tempted to punch the fkr right in the mush.[}:)] Didn't.

He was/is an addict and despite my suffering for his fkd up problem, I couldn't do it. Was damn tempted tho and stood there for a minute of two wighing it up.

Gambling and profits from it are no diff to feeding drug addicts the product and profiting from their addiction. No differant at all.

If you want to have a bet - fair enough, get on down to the TAB. If you want 24/7 online gambling and saturated coverage of odds on everything down to how much dencorub will be rubbed into a sore groin.. you have a problem. Face it.

getfunky said...

Mobydisc said...

Why should anyone or any organisation be able to tell someone whether they should gamble or not?

Why should anyone or any organisation be able to tell someone whether they should gamble be allowed to take smack/ice or not?


Not disimilar arguments if you look closely.

Perhaps in both cases limited access is the best policy?

Why should anyone be able to tell you what you can and can't ingest into your body? Seems like the laws don't really have much of an effect anyway. If people want to take drugs they will. If the law was changed and it was suddenly legal to go down to Kmart to buy a syringe full of heroin, I don't think most people would be buying and consuming it. Some people would but they probably get drugs anway, despite the law. Its part of human nature to want to alter reality a bit and make life a bit more bearable when its tough. Drugs do this for some people. The state turns them into criminals.

If its a voluntary restriction then that sounds fair enough. However if for whatever reason I collect my $1000 a week pay or whatever and decide to throw it away on a pokie then thats my business. Just the same if I go out and buy a new computer or windsurf sail with it. Thats my business. As long as I don't sponge for charity as a result of me wasting my money then thats my decision.

I find it unreasonable that some politician who represents some seat in Tasmania can start go around telling me what I can and can't do. If he has got a problem with pokies or whatever then no one is sticking a gun to his head and forcing him to play them.

I think information is the key. If a pokie displayed that in the last hour the machine collected $10000 and paid out $500 then most people would think what the hell am I sticking cash in this bloody thing? A return on $1 on $20 isn't that great.

BTW I am no great fan of poker machines. I live around 100 meters away from a big RSL club thats probably has over 200 machines and other gambling devices but I have no desire to go there to play them.

SP said...

Hang on I just checked my d.o.b, I'm an adult I can do what I Fu Ken like be that drink gamble smoke or even drive a bit faster than the sped limit, yes there are consequences and as an adult I can understand them and will deal with them. For god sake.... Gambling drinking smoking... All bad but largest source of revenue for the government and not harmful in moderation... Yes addiction is an Illness and the suffers need help but don't impinge on my rights as an average person...

& that ice smack argument is just a mute point there is a demonstrable health and social effect from these drugs for all parts of the community. Gambling smoking drinking, yes it affect some people in the community but by no means all and the effects and results in the majority of instances of these activities have no effect on anyone other than the participant.

& that pokie card thing is just one person with a bit of power because our voting system has thrown up an anomaly.. Independents in control,therefore one person can use this power to lever Julia into agreeing what they want in return for a vote on something else.. This legislation is not the only one... Look at any of the bills put up by an independent, usually self serving to there beliefs, electorate or just to being re elected.

Introducing the pokie law will mean licensed clubs no longer will be able to contribute to the communities they are in. This means community programs, sporting clubs, knitting clubs and any other community group receiving donation will lose funds and your community will suffer.. Who will replace the funding... Governments. You by donating.....

No pokies here, but beer is exy. You guy can have you pokies, I hate the ****in things [}:)]

Keep the bastards (pokies) out of WA imo [}:)]

I think there are lots of instances where the affects of gambling, smoking and alcohol affect innocent people, over the last few years Melbourne's nightclubs have fuelled alcohol related violence etc etc, is in not people's rights to walk the streets without fear of attack? there are plenty of drink driving accidents happening. the case with smoking is that for the last 50 years its been the right to smoke where ever you wanted, now its the right for non smokers to not have a smoke filled environment, thinking back my dad smoked lots of smokes whenever we went driving, four young kids in the car, now because the rights of the individual and public opinion has changed you wouldn't dream of doing that stuff now.
So if gamblers want to bet there life savings, can they go on the dole when all is lost?, can the smoker get a lung transplant paid for by the government? yes is the answer because there is still compassion in our community for the unfortunate, but those who are unfortunate still have their rights to participate, sorry I reckon its up to regulation to lessen the load on the system that is overloaded by the attitude, its me ef***ing right, I am all for a change in public opinion

Mobydisc said...
Why should anyone be able to tell you what you can and can't ingest into your body? Seems like the laws don't really have much of an effect anyway. If people want to take drugs they will. If the law was changed and it was suddenly legal to go down to Kmart to buy a syringe full of heroin, I don't think most people would be buying and consuming it. Some people would but they probably get drugs anway, despite the law. Its part of human nature to want to alter reality a bit and make life a bit more bearable when its tough. Drugs do this for some people. The state turns them into criminals.

The reason why is simple: The rest of us (society) pay the price for the harm you (3rd person plural) want to perpetrate upon yourself. "Who pays the piper calls the tune." Quite apart from the medical costs there are things like crime, lost production, social security and more. I for 1 object in the strongest possible terms, to funding someone else's stupid addiction through higher insurance costs, taxes and reduced security. Every kid from lower primary school onwards knows what drugs do to people. "You don't have to take poison to know it'll kill you."

As others have suggested, gambling is just another addictive pastime with all (or at least most) of the same negative outcomes for the individual and the rest of society.

And while we're at it; no I don't drink or smoke, and I do have a vigorous and fun social life.

Again Funky... You sometimes make perfect sense for a vile Wet Toast supporter. Pity about the crooked boss.

All the more power to those tying to stop problem gambling.

We all have a right to enter and play games in casinos or pokies in Clubs and Pubs. But don't portray it as being un-Australian or an attack on civil liberties when a very real problem exists and those seeking to address it are trying to do the job that they are elected to do. ie to represent and look after the interest of those that have elected them to office.

Clubs Australia, the NRL and some in the AFL (Vic based) personalities should stop pretending that it will cause the sky to fall in and that all gambling is about to end. The propposed measures only seek to limit the large losses that small time problem punters incur.

A "tax on gambling"??? Rubbish!!!!!

We are creatures of habit. I just kicked a 25 year smoking habit, been off the Blue Heavens now for 14 months. I cant really bag another for their addictions or what they are, an addiction is an addiction, I used to be addicted to surfing too.
You probably have to look at the causes of the addictions if they are profoundly unhealthy as its a releif strategy stemming from a root cause, the addiction is a symptom.

I see the wisdom in both sides of the argument, however keep in mind the old edicts of democracy are to keep us fed and entertained while the club of Rome do their evil deeds.