Paul Merson

[WNRH]

I definitely had a gambling addiction in my early adulthood. Probably lost 3-5 grand over a few years. Got myself banned from online gambling, instantly changed my life and turned around my financial situation. Wish more people would do that.

Without knowing your circumstances or dismissing your opinion. If you lost £5000 over 3 years, that equates to £30 a week.

That’s currently what I spend on average on betting a week but I wouldn’t say I lost £5000 over three years no more than I would say I lost £10,000 over three years to drink.

Obviously I don’t know if it was in small amounts over a long time like myself or whether you were better large amounts that were starting to get out of control.

I think one of the worst things to happen in online betting is the cash out option. It’s like the old bullseye “have a look what you coulda won” rub in your face which can lead to chasing loses and betting more as you had a certain amount of money in your grasp when the bet was winning.

 

[RACHACE]

I delivered some fuel to a huge building site in the middle of Cheshire earlier in the week. Turns out it was a massive house and grounds being constructed. The client was one of the directors at bet365.

Seeing the size of this project did make me think about how huge the betting industry must be and who really profits from it all.

Not me that's for sure. My measly £5 a week bet contributes to someone being able to afford to shut down roads in the countryside so that they can build a gaff.

 

[Bantamgaz]

There's a website where you enter your personal details, Gamstop. It checks your ID and bans you from all online betting. Now that probably won't work for everyone, I'm sure there are ways you can get around it if you really try, but it worked for me.

The hard part was summoning the nerve to actually do it, because the irrational part of me still clung onto the hope that I'd win back what I lost if I kept betting. Ironically it only took me a couple of months to make back those losses through work, so I could've done it years before.

I did it a few weeks ago lost a bit but tbf they ain’t half on the ball got multiple accounts all inactive

 

[blue aura]

I

Yeah this is my problem with Merson and his tears. He's been crying for over 25 years.

There are people who are in far less privileged circumstances than he is that are really struggling with addiction and he's highly likely to be making a mint off the back off a high number of those people with books, appearances and what not.

I get he's got a problem, many also have similar problems but what the vast majority of people who have such problems don't do is surround themselves with said problems. He has worked for Sky for years who are also a bookmaker and if he really wanted to do some good he'd have moved away from anything to do with Sky years ago.

He puts himself 1st and always has done. I've little sympathy with Merson and he's a lucky fucker. If you can't be good, be lucky I suppose.

Couldn't have put it better myself.

 

[ShedDweller]

Is the lottery and scratch cards gambling? They’re no different to buying raffle tickets just with bigger prizes as according to that link over 50% of UK gambling is via this way.

“Gambling addiction is estimated to cost the UK between £260 million and £1.2 billion per year”

That’s quite a big difference in estimation, it’s as if they don’t have a clue.

Yes the Lottery and Scratch cards are definitely gambling are are definitely part of the problem.

You've made a good point... where is the line drawn between a bit of fun like a raffle or the Lottery and a situation where people are spending big chunks of there potentially small income on scratch cards or Lottery tickets.

Thats what a regulator is for.

 

[ShedDweller]

Everything is economics. Great book about that being a fact called Freakonomics.

I've read both the Freakonomics books and I'm surprised that they don't seem to have influenced your views on this subject tbh.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion

 

[Deleted member 77198]

Is the lottery and scratch cards gambling? They’re no different to buying raffle tickets just with bigger prizes as according to that link over 50% of UK gambling is via this way.

“Gambling addiction is estimated to cost the UK between £260 million and £1.2 billion per year”

That’s quite a big difference in estimation, it’s as if they don’t have a clue.

You could look at the Lottery as investing in good causes, rather than bloating the bank accounts of bookies.

 

[Onholiday(somemightsay)]

There won't be a lot of sympathy for Merson on here but found it quite an opener just seeing in black and white how the betting companies target and basically prop up known addicts to keep them betting.

I found it very interesting the connection between the way he played the game was reflective of his betting mentality - brilliant player.

The bit at the end where it was pointed out by one of the parents that the laws had been relaxed in 2005 (but who had s smartphone in 2005) is spot on. The law hasn't been reviewed in conjunction with the technology available.

Very sad.........

 

[xgorton]

He's at it again on Sky talking about Everton and the new manager then suddenly brings us into the conversion saying look at City win trophys every season but lots of empty seats,they will never be as big as Everton,coont.

 

[meeesh]

He's at it again on Sky talking about Everton and the new manager then suddenly brings us into the conversion saying look at City win trophys every season but lots of empty seats,they will never be as big as Everton,coont.

Again,another lesson for the youngsters,drugs don't work guys.

By the way I saw him on Sky other night doing Millwall v Preston match,looked rough as fuck