5 ms·

I don't understand how gambling is legal. So many lives ruined by it.

vinay427 4y ago
There are even machines in pubs and bars in the UK, which seems insane to me not being from here. Based on that and the dedicated gambling shops all over high streets, this sort of low-level gambling seems far more accessible in the UK than in many other western countries.
- newaccount74 4y ago
  Same thing in Austria. They occasionally talk about banning them, but the companies operating the machines keep making donations to political parties...
- shortcake27 4y ago
  Pretty crazy - that article cites ~£900m in direct losses. Whereas in Australia the value is something like ~$25bn. And the population is 1/4 the size.
  - BFLpL0QNek 4y ago
    The UK normally has one, maybe two gambling machines stuck in a corner of a pub. Australian pubs, restaurants, hotels have “vip” rooms. Rooms filled with gambling machines. They can’t advertise “pokie machines”, the Australian term for gambling machines so instead they renamed them to “vip rooms”, advertising under another name instead. Walking down a street you see pubs with separate entrances with big bold signs “vip room”. I’d guess “vip” rooms are the main income for Australian pubs as they’re such a prominent feature. Gambling is a massive industry in Australia. Australia gambles more than anywhere else. With so much money involved it seems it’s bit of a dark murky industry. A YouTuber journalist/comedian got firebombed just the other week after a series of investigative videos on New South Wales gambling corruption https://independentaustralia.net/life/life-display/friendlyjordies-dangerous-work-met-with-firebombing-attacks,17003 https://independentaustralia.net/life/life-display/friendlyj.... The same journalist has had his house raided by terrorist police on direct command from politicians for getting on the wrong side of them with corruption videos.
- nikonyrh 4y ago
  In Finland we have slot machines in all grocery stores and kiosks. During corona their usage got very low, which caused a big budget issue on arts and sports clubs since they relied on this income. It was all over the news on how bad it was that most people were no longer gambling.
PaulHoule 4y ago
Illegal gambling run by organized crime syndicates was widespread in the US until the 1970s. Black, Italian and Jewish mobs fought for control of "numbers games" very similar to the Pick 3 and Pick 4 state lottery games. I read many stories of illegal craps games in NYC and also whole illegal casinos in many cities. J. Edgar Hoover, FBI chief, was a known illegal gambler and kept the police from cracking down. After his death they applied the methods known as "COINTELPRO" when used against the civil rights movement to the destruction of the "Cosa Nostra" Mafia. There was a long period of increasing legitimization of the gambling industry in the US, first in a few entrepot such as Las Vegas and Atlantic City and eventually everywhere, helped on by the tremendous interest that the public has in gambling and also the perception that extreme sports betting hasn't done that much harm in the UK. There are many people for whom it seems to be "good clean fun" but I also read stories of people embezzling because of gambling addiction: for instance a woman who worked for the local municipal bus company stole $700,000 that she lost gambling.
the_only_law 4y ago
I don’t understand how alcohol is legal. So many lives ruined by it. On a more serious note, I’ve engaged in many vices myself, but never had any interest in gambling. First time I went into a casino I got an incredibly depressing vibe.
nonstopdev 4y ago
Too much of anything ruins lives. There are plenty of people who use moderate amounts of enjoyable things like alcohol, gambling, unhealthy foods, and drugs. There will always be outliers who can’t control their consumption and have lives ruined by it.
Spooky23 4y ago
Years of legal maneuvering made to legal in the US. Indian gaming made it impossible to ban, and the prospect of losing tv revenues make sports leagues suddenly in favor of sports betting.
hezralig 4y ago
Do you think trading stocks should be illegal as well?
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]

There are even machines in pubs and bars in the UK, which seems insane to me not being from here. Based on that and the dedicated gambling shops all over high streets, this sort of low-level gambling seems far more accessible in the UK than in many other western countries.

newaccount74 4y ago
Same thing in Austria. They occasionally talk about banning them, but the companies operating the machines keep making donations to political parties...
shortcake27 4y ago
Pretty crazy - that article cites ~£900m in direct losses. Whereas in Australia the value is something like ~$25bn. And the population is 1/4 the size.
- BFLpL0QNek 4y ago
  The UK normally has one, maybe two gambling machines stuck in a corner of a pub. Australian pubs, restaurants, hotels have “vip” rooms. Rooms filled with gambling machines. They can’t advertise “pokie machines”, the Australian term for gambling machines so instead they renamed them to “vip rooms”, advertising under another name instead. Walking down a street you see pubs with separate entrances with big bold signs “vip room”. I’d guess “vip” rooms are the main income for Australian pubs as they’re such a prominent feature. Gambling is a massive industry in Australia. Australia gambles more than anywhere else. With so much money involved it seems it’s bit of a dark murky industry. A YouTuber journalist/comedian got firebombed just the other week after a series of investigative videos on New South Wales gambling corruption https://independentaustralia.net/life/life-display/friendlyjordies-dangerous-work-met-with-firebombing-attacks,17003 https://independentaustralia.net/life/life-display/friendlyj.... The same journalist has had his house raided by terrorist police on direct command from politicians for getting on the wrong side of them with corruption videos.
nikonyrh 4y ago
In Finland we have slot machines in all grocery stores and kiosks. During corona their usage got very low, which caused a big budget issue on arts and sports clubs since they relied on this income. It was all over the news on how bad it was that most people were no longer gambling.

PaulHoule 4y ago

Illegal gambling run by organized crime syndicates was widespread in the US until the 1970s. Black, Italian and Jewish mobs fought for control of "numbers games" very similar to the Pick 3 and Pick 4 state lottery games. I read many stories of illegal craps games in NYC and also whole illegal casinos in many cities. J. Edgar Hoover, FBI chief, was a known illegal gambler and kept the police from cracking down. After his death they applied the methods known as "COINTELPRO" when used against the civil rights movement to the destruction of the "Cosa Nostra" Mafia. There was a long period of increasing legitimization of the gambling industry in the US, first in a few entrepot such as Las Vegas and Atlantic City and eventually everywhere, helped on by the tremendous interest that the public has in gambling and also the perception that extreme sports betting hasn't done that much harm in the UK. There are many people for whom it seems to be "good clean fun" but I also read stories of people embezzling because of gambling addiction: for instance a woman who worked for the local municipal bus company stole $700,000 that she lost gambling.

the_only_law 4y ago

I don’t understand how alcohol is legal. So many lives ruined by it. On a more serious note, I’ve engaged in many vices myself, but never had any interest in gambling. First time I went into a casino I got an incredibly depressing vibe.

nonstopdev 4y ago

Too much of anything ruins lives. There are plenty of people who use moderate amounts of enjoyable things like alcohol, gambling, unhealthy foods, and drugs. There will always be outliers who can’t control their consumption and have lives ruined by it.

Spooky23 4y ago

Years of legal maneuvering made to legal in the US. Indian gaming made it impossible to ban, and the prospect of losing tv revenues make sports leagues suddenly in favor of sports betting.

hezralig 4y ago

Do you think trading stocks should be illegal as well?

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]