Resident tipster
And the Pope may be Catholic!
7 August 2012
Watching the Dispatches programme last night on Channel 4 last night we were told: “There are lots of bookmakers in the high street; playing roulette is addictive, you can lose your money and we all need Government protection to protect us from this evil.”
They may as well have spent half an hour telling us the religion of the Pope and what bears do in the woods. Let's face it the local bookmakers have changed for the better over the last few years. It wasn't long ago when you would wipe your feet on the way out, that's if you could find your way out through the smoke. These days it is a much nicer environment and the FOBT machines have not only kept them alive but allowed them to thrive.
A little bit like the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have kept British arms makers in business but without the loss of limbs for our troops. Love them or hate them they are here to stay, mainly because of recent tax changes it is a massive revenue for the Government.
And pretty soon the Government will up the ratio to eight machines per shop rather than the current four. You can also guarantee that if FOBTs disappeared tomorrow, people will simply go online or play on their smart phones. Yes, the machines are addictive and the longer you play, the more you lose, but what is the difference between a mug punter putting a grand in the machines to a mug punter putting a grand on an even money favourite on novice hurdle at Sedgefield?
In my opinion the difference is minimal, in fact you have probably got a better chance on the FOBT. The point I am trying to get across is that you pay your money and you make your choice and if it takes you £5, £500 or £5000 to realize that there is only one winner on the FOBTs then more the fool you.
Rant over, I am having a day off so no selections today, I will be popping down the high street later to see how many empty shops there are in relation to the amount of bookies, just for fun of course.
Good luck today.
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Prolific
@ProlificRUK
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UK racing is partially funded by betting, not by money spent on FOBT’s.
Keith Rance | 9 months agoTheir growth poses a huge threat to the future of our sport.