With the general election being called for this Spring/Autumn and the bookies offering favourable odds on Labour to win, Conservatives to lose and Nigel Farage to be seen on every channel (including the English Channel) We at GUFFPOST would like to ask the following.
What are the odds of this current Government (or judging by the actions of the last Labour one) any Government in fact, coming up with a strategy that deals with an industry that legally profits from addiction, misery, and suffering that in many cases leads to people taking their own lives. The industry’s attempts to offset any harm that may occur is not only patronising but also woeful compared to the money and resources used to entice gamblers in the first place. This coupled with the Governments inaction (to put it mildly) has seen gambling companies blatantly normalising their trade and prolonging the effects for future generations whilst making billions in profit.
The following clip features leading gambling brands with straplines we think are more appropriate, bet you they won’t.
The following are excerpts from an article by Dan Kleiner from iGamingbusiness.com embellished by William Power GUFFPOST)
The Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) wishes to implement a stake limit on slots and will conduct a consultation on this limit between £2 and £15 per spin.
Players who lose £1,000 within 24 hours, or £2,000 over a period of 90 days, will be subject to detailed checks on affordability. Meanwhile, operators will now have to perform “passive” checks on players who have a net loss beyond £125 each month, or £500 per year.
Player protection was already adequate
David da Silva, Easyodds CEO, believes that the current player protections in force are more than right for the industry, If that’s the case, why so many suicides?
“When correctly applied, we feel that the player protections currently in force with regulated operators in the UK are more than adequate,” said da Silva. “Adding further controls and restrictions designed to protect a small minority is likely to frustrate the majority of responsible gamblers, some of whom might be tempted to switch to unregulated offshore operators.” That’s like saying why enforce the use of seatbelts when it’s only a minority or drivers who are involved in road traffic accidents. The Easyodds CEO went on to add that while the government is responsible for protecting vulnerable users from potential gambling harms “it also has a duty to support UK-regulated operators to ensure they remain a viable consumer choice.” “A viable consumer choice” that’s created ways to make sure their products and services appeal to those who are most vulnerable to not only becoming addicted but causing harm to themselves because of their addiction.
“Ministers should be reminded that illegal offshore operators are just a click away,” said da Silva. “Over-regulation risks triggering a worst-case scenario where the government fails both consumers and the legal gambling industry.” This sounds like a pharmaceutical company that produces medical grade highly addictive opioids warning the government about street dealers selling imported heroin.
The following documentary features former football Paul Merson speaking about his own experiences with gambling and losing vast amounts of money rather than taking the pieces of silver offered by the gambling industry like so many others involved in the bountiful game.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0010l43/paul-merson-football-gambling-and-me
We leave you with a website that we feel should be getting funding by the truckload, as it’s been set up by the very people who have lost the most.
