Niall McNamee speaks out on Gambling Addiction

Also, the previous week on the Sean O' Rourke show(6/8/14), there was a further discussion about online gambling. What was most remarkable was the comment, at the end (last 2 minutes), from the psychiatrist regarding how bookmakers now had the technology to recognise a person with a gambling problem. 


More than 100,000 people in Ireland believed suffering from a gambling addiction, many will start their habit on a handheld device. Keelin is joined by Paul Mullins of addiction treatment centre Aiseiri; by addiction psychiatrist, Dr Colin O'Gara and by Ronan Herlihy who went through an addiction from online gambling.


http://www.rte.ie/radio/utils/radioplayer/rteradioweb.html#!rii=9%3A20628572...

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Are you an addict yourself, Reb?

Nice post reb, its something we all need to keep an eye on [if we are honest with ourselfs]

OGara Ronan seems if you can't beat them join them.

To answer your question, Ozymandius, I don't think so. That's very true, frank.

Back in early June, before RTE covered the item referred to in my 2nd post(above), I had written to the Sean O' Rourke show telling of my own lifetime gambling experience. I,specifically, wanted to draw attention to the fact that by means of modern-day technology (internet,apps etc), bookmakers now had the means to identify those people who had a gambling problem. I instanced how they were currently using that very same technology to severely restrict the stakes of that small minority of people whom they considered might be damaging to their profitability.

I received no reply to my mail so I forwarded it to the Director General of RTE asking how I might raise this issue through the medium of the state broadcaster. Again, surprisngly, no reply. So, when I heard the item referred to in my 2nd post,above, and, in particular, the comments of the addiction Psychiatrist , I was pleased. However, I think far more emphasis now needs to be put, in the Media and Government, on this fact that bookmakers now have the means to readily recognise a person with a chronic gambling problem, and to show how they could take appropriate action to help that person.

They do the opposite,when they locate a problem gambler they will do everything in their power to facilitate him.

Its the problem gamblers that are keeping them going and it was always so.

Unfortunately it's hard to expect them to self regulate; the equivalent of asking a pub to stop serving alcoholics, McDonalds to stop serving fat people etc.

Reb,you are up against people that are running in the same circle so to speak,bookmakers are clients of rte so they are hardly going to "upset" them, though you are of course right,it's very "Irish".

The difference is Ozy pubs still facilate non alcoholics, McDonalds still facilate skinny people, bookmakers don't facilate winners or even anyone with a couple of brain cells

I agree with your first sentence, wildman, but astute bookmakers could still turn a good profit after excluding those people with a chronic problem.

Ozy, they're already self regulating.

pa, I know what you mean. I try to give RTE the benefit of doubt but the advertisement breaks on RTE during the World Cup were very revealing.

I never get this point about why Bookmakers should facilitate Winners.

It's up to them who they choose to take a bet off, and they are a business after all.

So they should be allowed prey on the stupid, clueless, addicted people though. They can't have it both ways, although they're having their cake and eating it at the moment.

And Ozy yes they should take bets off everyone, stop hiring clowns with pointless degrees to price up and they'll have a chance, clowns bet to 120-125% in dogs and the ricks are barely believable.

Because they are given a licence by the state to take bets,that gives them rights as well as responsibilities.

Bookmakers always restricted winners but this recent development of a winning run leading to a closed account is taking it too far.

I think its false advertising to say quote 4/1 about Sole Power boast about it but when you go to avail of it they won't bet you.

If a publican offers you pints of porter at 3 quid a pint you know that applies to all.

Seems to be a huge gap in the market then for a bookmaker that will take bets then, PF.  If you think that would show more profit than their current model, its seems strange that no one has tried it.

Can a publican not choose to restrict who it sells to?

Not on the basis of price.

They are being sued by members of certain communities on a regular basis,these communities are now getting clever cutting out the middlemen and just demanding cash to leave the publican alone.

Reb,i believe it with the technology,i,m fairly careful myself and use cc cleaner nearly every day,also use superantispyware daily,left a couple of days without use and you will have say 50 adware tracking cookies,as its mostly betting sites or related i use on the computer. Not very well up technological wise but very,very suspicious of them while realise they are not directly harmful.

Pa, use AdBlock Plus.

https://adblockplus.org

I use the adblocker plug-in that's incorporated with mozilla,that does the job in regards pop-up and ads and for that it does it well,without out sounding thick stupid will your site stop companies gathering information on what site i visit?

Not an expert Pa, but what do you have to hide?

Wouldn't have thought PP too interested in you shopping at Asda.  Or perusing redtube on a lonely Winter's night.

I've nothing to hide and i do(have to) consent to the use of cookies,my point is the information gathered off them(not altogether sure tbh) but what capacity are they being used by bookmakers?. Maybe an example(again not sure) if i visited the "games" part of a bookmakers site,will that be followed by an email with a few euro's free go on the slots or whatever?. Maybe other examples and possibly going overboard but i'm suspicious.

pa, I know where you're coming from but the push-button technology that I'm referring to that enables bookmakers to recognise a person with a chronic gambling problem is very basic. I don't have a problem with being severely restricted in my betting. I do have a problem with the fact that bookmakers are not currently using this same technology to help alleviate the huge rise in gambling addiction.

But why would they Reb,secretly they must be loving it,i talked to a fairly well known Cork bookmaker about 20 years ago,i was stunned by his attitude,there was no compassion towards the punter then,it was almost a God given right he should win,an eye opener for me.
Not in the slightest disagreeing with you Reb and fair play for the thread,sincerely think it is naive for them to put up too much of a battle though the end results are poverty,depression and extreme cases suicide,they're argument will always be but they could have won and in reality there isn't a chance in hell at what is current being almost forcibly foisted on the betting office in particular punter.

pa, just as all people are not the same, all bookmakers (individuals) are not the same. Each one of us has the capability to do great or terrible things; it is our own choice. Others cannot judge us. We can only judge ourselves.

mcnamee has only himself to blame.sure, he has problems but so has 1/2 the f**king country.gambling was not his only problem.its all about attitude.playing county dont give u a pass.the fall when it came was inevitable.

This might be of interest. Its about the obligations the betting companies are under elsewhere to stop their clients from becoming problem gamblers.

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Gambling addict sues Holland Casino for letting him play

Friday 22 August 2014

A gambling addict from Leerdam is suing the state-owned casino operator Holland Casino for failing to ban him from their premises.

The man claims he was allowed into the casino in Utrecht despite having two banning orders and then lost more than €1m at the tables, the Volkskrant said. The banning orders were issued in 2002 and 2006. Both were relinquished after the man said he learned from his mistakes.

The man, who says he has lost his job and friends and owes large sums of money, is claiming damages from the casino group for allowing him to play again.

'Despite the bans and the limitations, Holland Casino had a pattern of repeatedly allowing him in to gamble,' the man's lawyer Michou Dessing said.

The casino group disputes the claim and has refused to pay the 35-year-old damages. The court case opened in Utrecht on Friday.

Judges

There have been several previous attempts by gambling addicts to sue the casino group for failing to keep them off the premises. At least two cases have failed but in 2011, judges did partially in one addict’s favour.

Holland Casino is a state-owned monopoly and has the legal obligation to prevent gamblers from becoming addicted. Last year it issued almost 4,000 banning orders, most of which were on the request of the gambler themselves.

The Dutch gambling market is set to be liberalised in 2015.

© DutchNews.nl

- See more at: http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2014/08/gambling_addict_sues_holland_c...

Holland Casino is a state-owned monopoly and has the legal obligation to prevent gamblers from becoming addicted. Last year it issued almost 4,000 banning orders, most of which were on the request of the gambler themselves.  UNREAL STAT, Could be like the tobacco claims will drag on and on.   nice post Allez

The likes of Pinnacle and SBO make it pay laying sharp footy punters and betting to wafer thin margins

Can the same not be done with Horses? At least laying winners, I'm not for one second saying sprint handicaps could be priced to 102%

Doubt that's how Pinnacle make their money.

Different pinnacle dan....

I hate to say this but you are going up in my estimation.

I also witnessed another of your bugbears at the Curragh,an obese HRI member barely able to walk,this lad is premiership class in that department

Its not all bad news for those GAA gamblers,Niall Carew just won 170 grand on a lucky fifteen,he even had the draw in the Mayo Kerry match.

You would wonder why he went public with it.  Very foolish

Yes willy a few begging letters making there way into Niall,s letter box, but nevertheless well done,

Niall Carew backed the draw in the Mayo-Kerry game at 8/1 as part of his Lucky 15. That outcome was well traded on Betfair pre-game at 11 and 12/1. Allied to the poor prices he took on his horse selections, I don't think Boyles will be restricting him anytime soon- quite the contrary, I'd say ! He merely got lucky on a bad value bet. Irresponsible of him to allow publicity for his win given the huge increase in gambling addiction in recent years. I wonder did he receive a payment for it ?

I'm off to buy a lottery ticket now.

jaysus, talk about begrudgery.

And judgemental too !!

My mate said, "If I won e161 million on the lottery, I'd buy Greece for a laugh."

I said, "What would you spend the other £160 million on?"