5 ms·

In the UK it is less of an issue, because the industry is well-regulated and gambling (esp sports betting) is seen as an acceptable pastime akin to social drink

In the UK it is less of an issue, because the industry is well-regulated and gambling (esp sports betting) is seen as an acceptable pastime akin to social drinking. Occasionally people expressed disquiet, but since the main alternative in London is working for banks, there wasn't a great deal of choice. Personally I don't see the excessive advertising we are subject to as much better for society than gambling being available, but hey.

SilasX 10y ago
I was just in London, and it looks like they also plaster any gambling ads with "here's how you get help for a gambling addiction". It also probably helps that the major player is called "ladbrokes"!
- brokenmachine 10y ago
  I saw a documentary about Pokies that suggested that this framing of gambling as being an individual's problem instead of a problem with an industry that is specifically designed to use weaknesses in human psychology to extract the maximum amount of money from them was a deliberate tactic to prevent useful legislation being passed, because it's then up to the gambler with the problem rather than the institution of gambling to control their gambling. Never mind that those people are literally the least qualified to control their gambling addiction. If anyone's interested, it was called "Ka-ching! Pokie Nation" http://www.abc.net.au/tv/programs/kaching-pokie-nation/ http://www.abc.net.au/tv/programs/kaching-pokie-nation/
user5994461 10y ago
> Occasionally people expressed disquiet, but since the main alternative in London is working for banks, there wasn't a great deal of choice. Did both. Gambling is very similar to finance. Turns out that finance pays more and treats their employees better.
- zwischenzug 10y ago
  Have done both also, with the same experience... we may have worked for the same orgs :)
mdekkers 10y ago
...working for banks... Arguably worse than gambling or porn

SilasX 10y ago

I was just in London, and it looks like they also plaster any gambling ads with "here's how you get help for a gambling addiction". It also probably helps that the major player is called "ladbrokes"!

brokenmachine 10y ago
I saw a documentary about Pokies that suggested that this framing of gambling as being an individual's problem instead of a problem with an industry that is specifically designed to use weaknesses in human psychology to extract the maximum amount of money from them was a deliberate tactic to prevent useful legislation being passed, because it's then up to the gambler with the problem rather than the institution of gambling to control their gambling. Never mind that those people are literally the least qualified to control their gambling addiction. If anyone's interested, it was called "Ka-ching! Pokie Nation" http://www.abc.net.au/tv/programs/kaching-pokie-nation/ http://www.abc.net.au/tv/programs/kaching-pokie-nation/

user5994461 10y ago

> Occasionally people expressed disquiet, but since the main alternative in London is working for banks, there wasn't a great deal of choice. Did both. Gambling is very similar to finance. Turns out that finance pays more and treats their employees better.

zwischenzug 10y ago
Have done both also, with the same experience... we may have worked for the same orgs :)

mdekkers 10y ago

...working for banks... Arguably worse than gambling or porn