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Bit Of A Yarn

Problem Gambling


Happy Sunrise

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Today, when I went searching for a gambling helpline to wind Flag up about him not rating Chase Auckland (while rating Jafa Kitten lol) I stumbled upon Gambling Helpline New Zealand. 

I had a look around and went into the forum part. It is pretty sad reading to see how gambling can wreck people's lives and their loved ones. Fortunately, I have never seen the real dark of addictive gambling. I had a distant acquaintance in my younger days who put himself in difficulty due to his big losses and heard he lost his house in time but don't know the details. I also have had a couple of mates who probably gambled too much at times but they can reign it in when needed and are not compulsive. I certainly don't see people at the track losing their cool and going nuts because they lost. 

I don't have any horror gambling stories apart from that distant acquaintance, or fortunately, any friends severely affected by out of control gambling but I suppose they are out there.

So are addicted gamblers commonly involved in just harness racing? Are they out there? What is the worst punting story you have?

I am strangely interested but not being a gall at the same time as I realise problem gambling is no joke to anyone concerned.

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1 hour ago, Happy Sunrise said:

Today, when I went searching for a gambling helpline to wind Flag up about him not rating Chase Auckland (while rating Jafa Kitten lol) I stumbled upon Gambling Helpline New Zealand. 

I had a look around and went into the forum part. It is pretty sad reading to see how gambling can wreck people's lives and their loved ones. Fortunately, I have never seen the real dark of addictive gambling. I had a distant acquaintance in my younger days who put himself in difficulty due to his big losses and heard he lost his house in time but don't know the details. I also have had a couple of mates who probably gambled too much at times but they can reign it in when needed and are not compulsive. I certainly don't see people at the track losing their cool and going nuts because they lost. 

I don't have any horror gambling stories apart from that distant acquaintance, or fortunately, any friends severely affected by out of control gambling but I suppose they are out there.

So are addicted gamblers commonly involved in just harness racing? Are they out there? What is the worst punting story you have?

I am strangely interested but not being a gall at the same time as I realise problem gambling is no joke to anyone concerned.

image.png.dfff69cc941c1218bc851f561de330b9.png

 

 

I see people just sitting on the pokies when I go to the trots at Alex park and the same people generally when I leave still on there, to me that's a problem!  wtf are you doing at the races and sitting playing pokies all night!! I love to see the horses do their prelims, and see them racing close up etc....

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1 minute ago, Flagship uberalles said:

I see people just sitting on the pokies when I go to the trots at Alex park and the same people generally when I leave still on there, to me that's a problem!  wtf are you doing at the races and sitting playing pokies all night!! I love to see the horses do their prelims, and see them racing close up etc....

sad that is when I was there one night a women was on the pokies there and next morning I went to the cafe for coffee and she was back there playing pokies again found that bloody sad

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1 minute ago, hunterthepunter said:

sad that is when I was there one night a women was on the pokies there and next morning I went to the cafe for coffee and she was back there playing pokies again found that bloody sad

I get the feeling the pokies are far worse than the horses, those people must just lose track of days and time in general, and I don't get it because you can win f/all on them........

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6 minutes ago, Flagship uberalles said:

I see people just sitting on the pokies when I go to the trots at Alex park and the same people generally when I leave still on there, to me that's a problem!  wtf are you doing at the races and sitting playing pokies all night!! I love to see the horses do their prelims, and see them racing close up etc....

 

1 minute ago, hunterthepunter said:

sad that is when I was there one night a women was on the pokies there and next morning I went to the cafe for coffee and she was back there playing pokies again found that bloody sad

Pokies are for the braindead and or hopeful in my book. I sometimes reluctantly go into those pokie rooms with mates and they drop 20 or 40 dollars before I can even see the spinning stop. I ask them how did you win or why didn't you win and they don't even seem to know.

It is just the instantaneous dopamine hit of the lights and little wins that hooks people isn't it. No wonder betting on racing is stuffed....there aren't enough races on trackside lol.

I would rather watch someone lose 1000 on a race they carefully studied than someone lose 100 on a machine. They are not even in the same ballpark of desperation in my book.

 

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If you read the stats,it shows currently about 9.7% of problem gamblers are horse racing  related. 

I posted quite a few stats on here when that add came out on tv last year where 3 blokes were sitting round a table listening to a race commentary,with the commentator saying things like 'there goes last weeks pay',etc,etc. Clearly those making the add had targeted the easy racing target. Why did they,and did they have relationships with  other effected industries which influenced the making of the  T.V.add.

About 50% of problem gambling relates to  non casino pokies. 

The biggest growth in problem gambling has been in on line pokies.

Racing % has dropped significantly over the years as other forms of gambling became  available.  

What industries fund problem gambling? Are there some that don't that should?

What is the definition of a problem gambler?

People with addictive personalities are obviously susceptible. Is it fair to blame the forms of gambling for the problems individuals have. Can there be a constructive addiction.? I once knew a woman who went from addiction to smoking, gave that up but replaced it with the  pokies,then gave them up for a sex addiction. 

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1 hour ago, Happy Sunrise said:

It might if you saw people on the pokies. But I doubt you are the type to frequent pokie machines, Chief.

i have seen it and it is sad as are ALL addictions. by the nature of the word there are no good ones, all consuming is bad 

i was meaning that when i bet i am not thinking what will happen with the proceeds of clipping my ticket

i have never bought a lotto ticket or played a poker machine or been inside a casino is pretty much only harness with the odd foray in gallops, dishlickers and sports

so i suppose i gamble for purely selfish reasons and the only time i have considered who benefits is when i used to buy a meat raffle at the pub on a friday night

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15 minutes ago, Flagship uberalles said:

Keep your pecker up brodster ...... pokies are unrestricted ?

Not keen on Pokies, as I consider  that gambling and you need luck, however harness punting I consider  more an investment, providing you do your homework!

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