Nearly 4
million people in the UK identify as gambling addicts or at-risk gamblers
(Source:
Gambling Commission – gambling participation in 2016)
The
narrative from the gambling industry and others that says it’s all the
individuals fault, that it is simple bad choice to spend more than you can
afford is simplistic, dangerous, and worrying.
If we
have 4 million people in the UK wandering around our streets not in control of
their actions then we had better all go home and put the shutters down.
It is
nonsense talk.
I want to
separate ‘treatment’ from the rest of this discussion because in that context
it is important for the individual to take responsibility to stop gambling
because frankly if they don’t no-one else will.
In the
context of the gambling industry it is all out war on 4 million people in this
country.
They have
meticulously, purposely designed a cradle to grave system to deprive 4 million
people of their time, money, and dignity for profit.
It is an
absolute scandal.
The
machines are omnipresent, you cannot escape them.
They are
online and offline, in the bookmakers, on your phone, in amusement arcades, on
your notebook, in the bowling alley, on your tablet, in the bingo halls, in the
casinos, in the fish & chip shop, in your head, all day, every day, in work
or out of work, at home or out of home.
The narrative
is that they are ‘FUN’, a harmless, benign, leisure pursuit that creates jobs
and pays its taxes. The people behind the operators have used their wealth to
infiltrate the government, regulator, banking, to create the narrative and
write gambling policy and regulation.
Who else
could construct ‘responsible gambling’ as a credible policy statement? It’s
about as responsible as taking all of your weekly food money, chucking it into
a wishing well and asking for your children to be fed!
Every day
up to 4 million people will like zombies caught up in some non-stop game craze seek
out their next fix, be it in the online casino or on the fixed odds betting
terminals in shops out of sight in the high street.
It stinks.
This is dirty money that is stolen from the 4 million people who least can afford
to spend it. At the same time these people are immersed into a fantasy land
that can take years to escape from; years of time lost. Along the way of course
many people are hurt from the lying and cheating, stealing and plundering to
find the money for the next fix. And the emotional toil is immense too; families
despair, and break-up, unable to cope with the consequences of an addict
constant money problems and inability to lead a normal life.
The
industry have designed and navigated legislation to place their product into
every age category from birth to death. They advertise non-stop through media
promoting the big wins, and the fun participating in this exciting world.
The
gambling industry know that for this 4 million group they just need to get as
many of them in to the fast paced world of high speed play, and participation
that will keep them locked into play until they are broken.
It’s been
designed that way. It’s all-out war on 4 million people.
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