FOBT's in Betting shops

[IanM]

You could lose lots of money really quickly. Reducing seems sensible, although they went for the big bang on this. Hard to judge overall as one who has never used on of these machines, but gambling addiction is bad news. (maybe this just moves the issue elsewhere)

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

SiLH - should we restrict those on low incomes from drinking and smoking? Both can be addictions, much like gambling can be, and money that can be required to live on can be being spent on fags and booze.

I agree with the reduction in maximum stake but think they could maybe have left it a bit higher than £2. What is the jackpot on these types of machines at the minute and does anyone know if the maximum payouts are going to be reduced to reflect the lower stake? I'm not sure if this will reduce problem gambling or will simply mean that it takes longer for people to lose their money with a lower stake. I also wonder how many people are playing on these terminals and staking the maximum £100 each go compared to those playing with a lower stake of say £1 or £2 a go who aren't going to be affected by this change.

No.

But there are restrictions in place around where and when and the cost is largely government controlled

 

[chrisd]

I work in a club where there are ordinary gambling machines it seems that it's the same players mostly on them and when they win they put it all back chasing another win.

I'm sure that the reduction in the stake allowed is spot on the right thing to do.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

A few years ago one of the bookies in centre of town moved premises about 100yds.

Why go to all the hassle?

You might not be surprised to learn that the unit that became available and into which they moved was slap bang between the main pub in town and the banks (and cash machines). So any punter in the pub needing a bit of cash would go to the cash machine and on the way back have to pass the bookies - when previously he wouldn't have done so. I wonder why...well I don't - I know - because someone who worked in the bookies told me.

Predatory businesses masquerading as places of enjoyment.

 

[Pin-seeker]

Gotta love when people comment on stuff they have almost no idea of

Almost as funny as the betting guru’s that give it the big en AFTER they’ve finally had a win & then start giving everybody tips.
😖

 

[Hobbit]

Never understood why someone would feed loads of money into a 'bandit' when they are set up to always make a profit.

As for the change in the in the max stake allowed... nanny state. If someone's in the betting shop they'll just have more bets on the horses/dogs/football.

Next thing you'll see is a minimum price per unit of alcohol.

 

[Deleted member 1740]

Never understood why someone would feed loads of money into a 'bandit' when they are set up to always make a profit.

As for the change in the in the max stake allowed... nanny state. If someone's in the betting shop they'll just have more bets on the horses/dogs/football.

Next thing you'll see is a minimum price per unit of alcohol.

Not necessarily.

I've seen it with my own eyes, In my local bookies there's lots of people who play those machines on a regular basis who have no intrest in having a bet, they only go in there to play those roulette games etc.

I've seen people slamming stools, banging screens , throwing cans,abusing staff when they dont win, staff do not deserve that.

Those machines should not be on the high street. On christmas day last 2 years a betfred near ours was open just for those machines.

 

[gmc40]

Not necessarily.

I've seen it with my own eyes, In my local bookies there's lots of people who play those machines on a regular basis who have no intrest in having a bet, they only go in there to play those roulette games etc.

I've seen people slamming stools, banging screens , throwing cans,abusing staff when they dont win, staff do not deserve that.

Those machines should not be on the high street. On christmas day last 2 years a betfred near ours was open just for those machines.

Are you sure it was Xmas day? They'd be in breach of their licence if they were.

 

[Hobbit]

Not necessarily.

I've seen it with my own eyes, In my local bookies there's lots of people who play those machines on a regular basis who have no intrest in having a bet, they only go in there to play those roulette games etc.

I've seen people slamming stools, banging screens , throwing cans,abusing staff when they dont win, staff do not deserve that.

Those machines should not be on the high street. On christmas day last 2 years a betfred near ours was open just for those machines.

And I've seen a guy playing the machine, and having a p!ss at the same time rather than relinquish his place at the machine. Staff don't deserve having to mop the floor....

But is that really the machine's fault? If we're looking to ban, or severely limit, these sorts of behaviours lets give everyone a ration card for when they go to the pub. "Sorry sir, you've had your 2 pints. Off home you go."

Why ban them from the High Street? Surely someone playing them in a bookies is at least 18 years old? Its interference by the nanny state.... lets cut sugar.... lets ban fizzy drinks..... lets reduce the size of a Mars bar..... lets put a minimum price per unit on alcohol....

How about lets spend a fortune on education, and let people make their own choices. Those that want the Darwin Award can continue being idiots.

 

[Ross61]

What is the jackpot on these types of machines at the minute and does anyone know if the maximum payouts are going to be reduced to reflect the lower stake? .

As far as the roulette game The maximum payout is restricted by the the max stake. At £2 the max you can win is by putting it all on a single number. If you did win by hitting that number your return would be £72. As far as he other games I’ve no idea but I would think it would again be similar as it is a FIXED ODDS machine.

 

[Dibby]

As someone who used to work directly on the development of FOBTS and other hardware and software for bookies, I will provide some clarifications.

Fruit machines - AWPs - Amusement with prizes. Despite what people think there is no skill involved in beating them. They just pay out a fixed percentage, so basically you are paying for the entertainment of some spinning wheels and flashing lights!

Quiz machines in pubs etc.. - SWPs - Skill with prizes. The payouts are still based on percentages, as the amounts and difficulty of the questions will vary, but the outcome is in the hands of the player and their ability to correctly answer questions.

FOBTs - Fixed odds betting terminals. Exactly as they name described, they are set to a fixed payout, from memory around the 80% mark. The games do not work how you think, in a casino the house edge is that the wheel has 1 more outcome than the odds reflect. In a FOBT every time a user plays, the machine contacts a server for random outcome within the confines of the payout margin set for the machine, it will just provide a win or lose outcome of a certain payout, with no direct correlation to the real chance of what is happening.

sports betting. Trying to pick a winner is an almost impossible task, even the best struggle to do this. The name of the game is in how things are priced. The bookies use statisticians and compilers to make their book based on what they think the chances of each event are. The winning gambler is able to compile their own book more accurately, and then when they see their price is lower than the bookies, they pile in.
As an example, imagine a fair coin toss. Each outcome is 50%. The typical bookie would give you odds of 10/11 for each outcome, you might get lucky, but long term you will make the bookie rich. However, if you spotted the bookie had priced tails at 11/10 you would smash in. You may not win any individual outcome, but over the long term, you would expect to profit.

 

[USER1999]

Whilst restricting the cash to £2 per play, the Gov have still bottled this, and missed the real issue.

Online gambling is massive, and will continue to grow. Betting advertising is also massive, and will continue to grow.

FOBT are todays issues, tomorrows will be youngsters and online gambling from mobiles.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Dibby, thanks for the explanation. I don't play any of these, don't gamble, but it helps me to understand what people are talking about.

 

[Hobbit]

Whilst restricting the cash to £2 per play, the Gov have still bottled this, and missed the real issue.

Online gambling is massive, and will continue to grow. Betting advertising is also massive, and will continue to grow.

FOBT are todays issues, tomorrows will be youngsters and online gambling from mobiles.

Spot on! :thup:

My EX- son in law isn't interested in the FOBT's in the betting shops. But with Wonga loans, log book loans, pay day loans, bank loans and credit cards he blows circa £3k a month on football betting and the horses.

Fiddling around the edges isn't going to make a huge difference. Its a start I guess but it doesn't educate people. Restricting what people can do won't stop the urge, but educating them will.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

It is a start though, and we have to start somewhere. If you don't start then nothing gets done, nothing changes.

Attacking smoking started all those years ago with banning branding, then in closed spaces, pubs, restaurants, then open spaces, then hide them behind shutters, then put horrible pictures all over them. There are definitely fewer smokers out there now but without that first step people would still be chain smoking on flights, remember those days?

 

[USER1999]

Banning smoking started with banning the ads. Magazines etc used to be full of them.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Banning smoking started with banning the ads. Magazines etc used to be full of them.

I thought I may not get the order right etc but the point is the same. I am sure back then people would have said, "what's the point in that? What difference will it make"? It is the first step, others will follow.

 

[Deleted member 1740]

And I've seen a guy playing the machine, and having a p!ss at the same time rather than relinquish his place at the machine. Staff don't deserve having to mop the floor....

You win :rofl:

But is that really the machine's fault?

No its not the machines fault, its the greedy bookmakers who keep shops,that arent making profits on sport books, open 13 hrs a day.

If we're looking to ban, or severely limit, these sorts of behaviours lets give everyone a ration card for when they go to the pub. "Sorry sir, you've had your 2 pints. Off home you go."

what a stupid idea.

Why ban them from the High Street?

because
theyre accessible to a majority of people who can nip in and have a quick go and lose a couple of ton in minutes. If those FOBT's were in a casino, how many people who just nip in the bookies would make the effort to go to town to play them?not many i'd say

Surely someone playing them in a bookies is at least 18 years old? Its interference by the nanny state....

no its not, its proptecting vulnerable people with an addictive nature.

lets cut sugar.... lets ban fizzy drinks..... lets reduce the size of a Mars bar..... lets put a minimum price per unit on alcohol....

How about lets spend a fortune on education, and let people make their own choices. Those that want the Darwin Award can continue being idiots.

Or how about we stop corporations based in tax havens, preying on the weak.

 

[Deleted member 1740]

Are you sure it was Xmas day? They'd be in breach of their licence if they were.

Sorry it was open til 9pm Christmas Eve.

 

[Dasit]

I was banned from every betfred, ladbrokes and William hill in my town

the reason?


I won too much sports betting. I did it for a living and it is mostly arbitrage and value betting.

Bookmakers only want want mugs, people who are addicted and mostly clueless.

The sports departments of the shops is just a loss leader, they just want people in the doors to play the machines.


I have have seen people cover every outcome on a roulette table, guarenteed loss...