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Former Chancellor criticises affordability checks
Former Chancellor criticises affordability checks
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"Ronnie Cowan, the Scottish National Party member for Inverclyde, was perhaps the only contributor happy to suggest that he saw knock-on effects for racing as a relatively minor consideration in the debate. “What price a life?” he asked, before responding to several contributors who pointed out that a £500 loss over a year amounts to £1.37 per day."
The "what price a life" idiots. These idiots do more to reduce life expectancy than any others. The NHS does actually put a price on a life (thrown completely out the window during the COVID panic and we are paying the price now and for the next 30 years) as some people are not idiots, and realise that putting a price on a life increases life expectancy and quality of life |
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What are the odds that after these checks suicide rates go down? I'll bet odds against they don't.
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It's an interesting concept. We'll deny people freedom of choice, we'll impose intrusive checks and we'll drive people to the black market and this will reduce suicides in the UK. And we will base this decision on no worthwhile analysis. WALOFS
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In today's press the excellent Greg Wood who attended the debate seemed to sum it all up correctly in his Guardian article whilst Lee Mottershead from the R.Post seemed to think along the lines of M.P. Carolyn Harris who said 'it is not too late to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat'
I dont think the 'Racing Post' heard what the minister said at the end. To me it sounded like 'nothing has changed'. Yet Mottershead keeps on about politicians starting to listen. Is he deaf. The whole thing was a waste of time, the government had already decided nothing was changing. |
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I've been looking at suicide rates in the 38 wealthy countries in the OECD to see if there is any evidence of countries with a high suicide rate having relaxed gambling regulations and cultures. There isn't. In fact, i'd say the reverse looks more plausible.
The average suicide rate is 10.6 suicides per 100,000 people. The country with the highest suicide rate is South Korea at 25.2. It's also very very anti gambling. Perhaps the most anti gambling of the 38. By comparison the suicide rate in Hong Kong is 10 and Singapore 8.5. Both gambling hotbeds and both below the overall average. Australia is 12.3, UK 10.7 and Ireland 9. All with gambling cultures and relaxed gambling laws. The average of all 5 is 10.1, below the OECD average In Western Europe (I haven't gone through every one, but I think the highest might be Belgium at 15.1) Perhaps the most anti gambling country in Western Europe? France and Portugal where B3SIX5 is also banned along with Belgium are 12.1 and 11.5 |
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I doubt whether money never mind gambling is directly involved in the vast majority of suicides.
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I doubt it too. It's a case of make up a statistic, repeat it often enough that it becomes treated as fact. The gambling related suicide statistics are complete bunkum.
It would make more sense to enforce everyone over 65 to live in a bungalow, because of the number of old people killed falling down the stairs |
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The minister for "Help The Aged" argued "you can't put a price on a life". Give me strength.
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Even if relaxed gambling laws and resulting gambling losses did lead directly to more suicides (which I doubt), how is making gambling more expensive and driving addicts to high street shops and the black market going to help those with gambling problems? It surely isn't. Geoff Banks has said 25% of his staff are employed in compliance. I think that's prolly a misrepresentation, but it's nevertheless a significant and potentially fatal cost. The gambling companies have the software to identify many, if not most of those with gambling problems, without any need for intrusive checks and dead money wasted on compliance staff. Must be about the most boring and soul destroying job in the world fwiw. Far better to pay an extra 1% on GP tax which would fund gambling charities to treat those with gambling addictions.
It just beggars belief how stupid they are. |
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Suicide in Russia is a significant national social issue, with the suicide rate at 21.6 suicides per 100.000 people.
And, coincidentally: Online Gambling is strictly prohibited in Russia. |
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Probs the nanny state helping with suicide rates. There's always someone else to blame. Mers being a good example blames the bookies for his gambling problems. Could always try a bit of self discipline. Are the breweries to blame for all the alkies out there? What's next from the Goverment? Here's your Tenner allowance for the pub this week, spend it wisely bro.
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The suicide rate in Russia is skewed by the very high rate of suicides amongst Putin's opponents
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Kim Jong has put a dark cloud over the sport and there is nothing the fodder can do…..
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As a PL footballer Merse would've presumably passed affordability checks. His "salvation" has been due to the treatment and therapy he's had.
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CLYDEBANK2929 Feb 24 12:31Joined: 10 Jan 02 | Topic/replies: 13,086 | Blogger: CLYDEBANK29's blog
The gambling companies have the software to identify many, if not most of those with gambling problems, without any need for intrusive checks This is 100% true CB29 and it is also 100% true that it would be the simplest, cheapest and most effective solution. The problem is, they can't admit this - because it would expose that they have been proactively using that software to do for the past 15-20 years! Basically, the ideal solution, would involve the on-line books admitting not only that they know where the bodies are buried - but also that they did all the killing and that it was pre-meditated! |
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You can just see it in one of those parliamentary sessions:
MP: So what you're saying is that you've already got (and have had for a long-time) software that can identify a potential and actual problem gambler at 200 yards with a blind-fold on? CEO: Yes. MP: So have you been using that already to identify potential/actual addicts and then to safeguard them? CEO: No. We've actually been using it to profile and identify them, so that we can rinse them for everything they've got!   |
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As you say Merson would have been OK because of his wages. Anyone on a low income ( but decent savings ) 20k in front for the year and then loses £1500 in one day not OK. If that is correct he should have been used as an example in the "debate".
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Some people just aren't cut out for Booze, Gambling, relationships, business ect...... They need help but they also need to take responsibility.
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Exactly !
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That's absolutely true Werbie and I agree 100%.
But if a distiller sent an alcoholic a case of free vodka or tickets to the Cup Final every time the alcoholic tried to quit or cut-back his drinking, we would probably see an intervention at some point. |
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The Management 29 Feb 24 13:58
That's absolutely true Werbie and I agree 100%. But if a distiller sent an alcoholic a case of free vodka or tickets to the Cup Final every time the alcoholic tried to quit or cut-back his drinking, we would probably see an intervention at some point. I like that one  Good point! |
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Howard, I think the suicide rate in New York after the 1930s crash had something to do with money.
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yeah but one extreme event 100 years ago ....and involving people that didn't have a gambling problem or did they ?
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The great thing about gambling is that it gives you hope. At some points in your life it can be the only hope. And I don't mean as a way of getting out of a financial hole. More as a dream that you might just get somewhere in an otherwise frustrating life.
Take that away, and you condemn a man to fifty years of 9-to-5 with no vision of any possible way out. |
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Great point screaming - I think sadly that our views on life are something of a dying breed though. The idea of being a pro gambler, or even just a pro part time gambler, are something similar to viewing 70s male celebrities as good role models.
Amazing how things have changed - culture has gradually shifted against the idea of a man going out and doing something in isolation to earn himself a crust. You have to have more traditional views on employment these days - ironically! The world views of the vast majority are now against gambling. I think the best we can really hope for is to be allowed to have 'some' action in this gambling world in future. But, I highly doubt it will be all the freedoms of the past decades. Certainly not the potential of the old days when someone could dream of making their living at it. Which is pretty sad to consider. |
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Very true Screaming, one of the best posts I have read on here.
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That's why the worse value bet of all sells so successfully screaming , the national lottery
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Hayden - for the same reason as the big Luckies on outsiders (and I confess I will be doing them again at the Festival) - for a few hours you get to dream what you will do with life-changing money you might win.
I don't have a huge problem with the NL and its direct spin-offs (Euromillions etc) - I don't imagine anyone does anything especially stupid with those - it's scratchcards get me. And they only just stopped their sale to 16/17 yos. |
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Stood behind a lady in Tesco a few weeks ago after running out of milk , she took ages to get served and was scruffily dressed to say the least , she had this card which must get you discounts on certain items so must have saved a good few quid on a full trolley , then she added i'll have a bottle of gin and 20 scratchcards.
Whatever she budget saved must have been gambled away at least 5 fold with scratchcards. |
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I suppose you are allowed to be lucky with a "bad" bet. Do that as much as you want. But try to use skill and make regular profits from gambling...they don't want that to be achievable by large numbers of people or any at all.
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Good example issue for sure longbridge!
Is there going to be ACs for those stood in shops spending stupid amounts on scratchcards?? There probably should be in their case. |
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screaming from beneaththewaves 29 Feb 24 20:44
The great thing about gambling is that it gives you hope. At some points in your life it can be the only hope. And I don't mean as a way of getting out of a financial hole. More as a dream that you might just get somewhere in an otherwise frustrating life. Take that away, and you condemn a man to fifty years of 9-to-5 with no vision of any possible way out. The reaction to screaming's post from us on here is positive, we all sign up to that dream, but if you showed that very post to one of the anti gambling mob they'd use the very tone of it as an example of what they see as the breadth of the problem, they can't comprehend that it can give us joy and something to be looked forward to, harmlessly, they see us all as addict's to one degree or another trapped chasing an unattainable dream that will ultimately cost us dearly. If the truth be known, the mob don't really believe that there are any of us in control of our betting and if they do they believe anyway that it is acceptable to take out everyone to catch the few even if they don't admit it, what they seek, for lack of a better phrase is tantamount to gambling genocide. |
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First the clueless podgy clown Rhodes tells us all that black market gambling isn't anything to worry about once AC's become the norm. Now he tells us it's one of the major issues to tackle. This grifter who's never done a real day's work in his life is well out of his depth on this. He clearly has no understanding of the industry. So who appointed him and why?
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He had zero experience of gambling before being appointed. Which is not surprising given his comments and decisions.
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The problem with the GC is that it doesn't give equal weight to its objectives:
(a)preventing gambling from being a source of crime or disorder, being associated with crime or disorder or being used to support crime, (b)ensuring that gambling is conducted in a fair and open way, and (c)protecting children and other vulnerable persons from being harmed or exploited by gambling. Almost no activity around (b) and therefore almost all resources concentrated on the other two. The reason for this is that they don't have enough knowledge and in any case, I suspect, think that fairness doesn't matter because all punters are losers. |
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All punters are losers and any that win long term are cheats in some way. A few losing punters might think the latter as well.
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Spot on Dave
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It's not surprising that during the covid panic, we blindly tried to follow what China were doing, as there is a deep rooted yearning among the elitists and political class to eventually follow China's form of governance. The general population seen as a homogenous, malleable mass, to be controlled by the central elite. We will in theory be given choices to make it seem like we have freedom, but these will be very narrow, and there will be boundaries. And to retain the perceived freedoms, we must be obedient, and earn credits by doing what the controllers want.
It would be way too long to cover all the actual areas in our lives this is actually already progressing, and at a rapid rate. And yes, I will get the old conspiracy theorist accusations thrown at me no doubt. I have a thick skin. We will be allowed to gamble (especially where it can be directly scalped by the state), but only via the terms our controllers allow. And in the future, expect that allowance to be withdrawn if you don't comply with the demands of the state. I have gone on about this like a broken record, but this 'fight' is not about horse racing, or betting, or being permitted to spend our own money. It is about our entire way of life. Yesterday it was published that 1.2 million people 'legally' came to live in our country last year. Chaps, this is no accident. We are living through an active revolution. Not that it's in our gift to do much about it. |
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TAB in Australia have said they are not following suit as they already have guidelines in place to recognise "problem" gamblers. Fair dinkum to them for that sensible approach.
I personally have lost three accounts through my non-compliance, in no way whatsoever should I be a victim of this lunacy. |
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Good post Cider. It's strange that some people on here can't see this is about more than just these "Affordability Checks" This is part of a much bigger picture. Our way of life is under threat and what it is to be British is being continually attacked. The same goes for Ireland.
When you have a Government promising to bring down immigration to 10s of thousand but it ends up with 1.2M legally coming and 10s of thousands illegally in just one year. And in Ireland small villages seeing huge influx of fighting age men arriving who have absolutely no right to be there and SHOULDN'T be there. You know something more sinister is afoot. |