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Paddy Power encouraged gambler until he lost his job, family and home - report

An investigation by the UK Gambling Commission found some oversights on the part of the company.

PADDY POWER ENCOURAGED a problem gambler until he lost his job, family and ended up homeless, according to a report by the UK Gambling Commission.

An investigation by the commission found that the popular bookmaker had failed to “keep crime out of gambling and protect vulnerable people”.

The report looked at the relationship Paddy Power had with three of its customers, and identified “serious failings” on the part of the bookmaker.

For its failings, the betting regulator said that Paddy Power will voluntarily pay £280,000 to “an agreed socially responsible cause”, pay some money to the costs of the investigation and amend its policies and procedures based on the findings of the investigation.

Customer A

The first case focussed on a man known only as Customer A who was a regular visitor of a Paddy Power branch in England. Customer A regularly used fixed-odds betting machines, i.e. electronic versions of games like Roulette or Blackjack where the odds don’t change from game to game.

In May 2014, staff found out that Customer A was working five jobs to fund his gambling and that he had no money. He said that he was happy with his level of gambling but staff decided to monitor him.

In late-May, the manager of the store told a senior staff member Customer A would be visiting the branch less. As a result of this, the more senior staff member told other staff that efforts should be made to try and increase Customer A’s visit and time spent in the Paddy Power branch.

From the report:

Paddy Power accepts that this advice, in the circumstances, was erroneous and directly conflicted with its own policies and procedures designed to meet their responsibility to prevent gambling being a source of harm to their customers.

Customer A was monitored by staff, with the reporting noting that the shop manager “recorded some discomfort about how to reconcile commercial and Social Responsibility (SR) considerations”.

Customer A said he was happy with his spending, but the report notes that the manager noticed that he “was spending heavily and that he looked unwell and as if he had not slept in a while”.

In August 2014, a staff member bumped into the Customer A off-premises and saw that he had lost all of his jobs, was homeless and had lost access to his children.

He was directed towards help and the report notes that he did not visit the shop again after this.

Other cases

Another case examined in the report involved failings by Paddy Power in investigating money potentially being laundered through betting machines.

In the case, a woman known as Customer B was able to run Scottish banknotes through a gambling machine – asking to be paid out on debit card.

Despite concerns being raised by a manager to more senior staff several times, the issue was never reported onto the company’s money laundering reporting officer.

The customer was only dealt with after the police had expressed concerns that Scottish banknotes from a crime were being laundered in London.

In another case, staff of the bookmaker failed to properly investigate where a man betting large amounts of money online was getting the cash.

Voluntary settlement

On the basis of the report, Paddy Power said that it would pay £280,000 to a “socially responsible” cause, in order to cancel out any profits made from the above cases.

The company also said that it would commit to amending its policies based on the recommendation of the UK gambling regulator.

In a statement, Paddy Power said that the failings outlined in the report were “clearly unacceptable”.

The historical failings outlined in this report were clearly unacceptable.
Paddy Power has since significantly strengthened its internal procedures and staff have been retrained to ensure these procedures are implemented effectively.
Paddy Power Betfair takes its responsibilities extremely seriously and we have co-operated fully with the Gambling Commission at every stage of this process.

Read: Roy Keane claims Paddy Power breached his constitutional rights with ‘crude and vulgar’ ad

Read: Paddy Power has already got a massive election dig in at the TDs with this stunt

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56 Comments
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    Mute Vincent Wallace
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    Mar 1st 2016, 1:40 PM

    Its not only Paddy Power I no a bookies that takes a mans money who is a known compulsive gambler he goes in drunk and they take his money. People go in telling them they are a disgrace and are told to F off. They are all at it.

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    Mute Original Dodgy Boy
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    Mar 1st 2016, 1:49 PM

    There all at it as right, crooks they are ,I know it’s a business but they will take every penny off u if they can , but if you win money off them especially online they will restrict your account and even close it… Ya never see a bookie on a bicycle !!!!!

    177
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    Mute Beano
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    Mar 1st 2016, 2:09 PM

    Yes, blame the bookies…that’s the answer. Like when a drunk goes home and beats up his wife, I guess that’s the pubs fault?

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    Mute Luke Kelly
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    Mar 1st 2016, 2:12 PM

    Beano the problem with gambling is that it can lock an entire family into paying someone elses debts for a generation. Often the last people to find out what damage has been actually done, are the unsuspecting partner and siblings.

    I’ve no doubt, we of all people, should be cognisant of that after bailing out banks and other people gambling debts.

    107
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    Mute Paddy Ryan
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    Mar 1st 2016, 2:17 PM

    Beano, if a publican knows that when a guy gets drunk he beats his wife and not only serves him but encourages him to drink then it’s very much the publicans fault. I know of one particular publican in Cork who’s a “barred list” for a few guys not because of what they do on premises but because family members have asked that he not serve them because of what they do after coming home drunk. Few publicans want that on their conscience.

    138
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    Mute Rashers Tierney
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    Mar 1st 2016, 2:21 PM

    Vincent, my late brother in law used to do just that – roll up absolutely pissed and blow his months’ salary at the local bookies. The whole neighbourhood knew he was an alcoholic and a compulsive gambler. The way I see it, if a pub can refuse to serve a known bogie and alcoholic, so can a book maker.

    125
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    Mute Marcus Garvey
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    Mar 1st 2016, 2:01 PM

    Worked in a bookies during college. Awful job. Attacked, robbed, threatened. Enabled the Polish and Irish drug dealers launder money. Took bets off idiots who bet on virtual animals and jockeys jumping off horses. Took bets off the Chinese who knew exactly what would happen. Watched men scramble on the ground for cents to make the minimum bet. We refused one man who was losing everything and we were brought up for discrimination. Sad horrible places but at least it’s not underground where people would be brought out and shot.

    247
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    Mute Conor Forde
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    Mar 1st 2016, 1:59 PM

    I have previously worked in a bookies and seen such cases as case A first hand. Bookmakers will happily take every penny from you, they have no moral compass when it comes to responsible gambling!
    However if you start to take money from them, they close your accounts, restrict your bets. One rule for them and another for everyone else. They only want your custom if your loosing money!!

    124
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    Mute Teddington
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    Mar 1st 2016, 2:18 PM

    Same rule for one and all Conor, if we’re each responsible for our own actions then it is up to the individual to stop betting if they’re constantly losing money the same way the bookie will react if they’re constantly losing money on one customer.

    29
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    Mute Oran Joyce
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    Mar 1st 2016, 2:03 PM

    Bookmakers are parasites feeding off human addiction.
    All gambling advertising should be banned.
    Every regular ‘punter’ should be given a monthly written balance sheet of betting patterns.
    If people realised how much they are losing they would adopt a different approach.
    Gambling is a vice, an addiction that sucks the spirit of the gambler dry.
    Probably the most insidious addiction known to man.
    In my opinion bookmakers are on a par with smack dealers. Only difference is that they have a smooth corporate image and governments love them for the tax returns.

    119
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    Mute Conor Tansey
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    Mar 1st 2016, 3:04 PM

    The parasites are the people that can’t control their gambling! Rather spend the day in a bookies than time with their family. From working in a bookies seeing this at first hand makes my blood boil! People’s greed is what leads to their addiction. I know certain people that come in with x amount and do their bets and leave, win or lose, while these other lads just bet on anything that moves until they lose every penny! There is no talking to these guys about their spending habits! Iv told many a customer to take it easy and iv given them gamCare leaflets to which I’m told to mind my own business. So for me they deserve everything they get…

    35
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    Mute Nigel O'Neill
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    Mar 1st 2016, 3:30 PM

    @Oran 100% correct dude

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    Mute Nigel O'Neill
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    Mar 1st 2016, 3:31 PM

    @Conor…I know people with very very good and well paid jobs who have serious gambling addictions and are running up debts. Your ‘assertion’ is very narrow and misplaced!

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    Mute Conor Tansey
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    Mar 1st 2016, 3:50 PM

    Ah I know there are. Hence the greed. Of they’re that we’ll off why do they feel the need to spend so much trying to win more…? It’s the guys in suits that are more likely to tell me where to go if I think they’ve a gambling problem. I do think bookies could train their staff better to deal with this problem but it’s up to the person at the end of the day..

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    Mute Nigel O'Neill
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    Mar 1st 2016, 4:58 PM

    Its the adrenalin rush from winning that drives the addiction!! Its not actually about the money!! Thats the core point that you obviously dont understand about this addiction

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    Mute Conor Tansey
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    Mar 1st 2016, 5:20 PM

    Well why not bet smaller amounts then if it’s just about the adrenaline rush? They’re not happy unless they’re winning money. And when they lose they whinge that the “bookies took my money” they need to get a grip of themselves. You will have every Tom dick and harry crying to higher authorities now saying that the “bookies didn’t tell me how much I was losing”. As iv said these people get offered help but they don’t want to stop until they lose everything and then blame it on the bookies. In this article though the bookies are to blame but to label them all the same because of this would be pure ignorant.

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    Mute Vincent Wallace
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    Mar 1st 2016, 7:02 PM

    Conor you are obliged by law to refuse the people you are talking about. You had an obligation to no the problem gamblers and bar them. But I am sure your employer would have fired you if you did that. There enlies the problem.

    9
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    Mute Conor Tansey
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    Mar 1st 2016, 8:32 PM

    You’re living in dream world. By law I have to refuse them??? I can offer advice in how to stop by giving them a lecture or hand out a flyer but I can’t refuse them unless they sign a self exclusion form which then can be used in a court of law if they continue to be served… the problem lies within themselves. The bookies are over 18s to enter for a reason. These men and women know the risks involved. Same as a smoker and a first time drug user… they know there’s help out there if they need it but they don’t seek it until they lose everything. No sympathy for them

    9
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    Mute Fr. Billy O'Dwyer
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    Mar 1st 2016, 1:52 PM

    It’s a tough situation for staff in a bookies because they’re not trained to know what a problem gambler is and what a person can afford to gamble relative to their income. I agree that the marketing campaigns need to be done away with, this idea of the “Ladbrokes life” is shameful. There’s a crowd of lads in their late teens in my local bookies that are going to be degenerate gamblers by the time they’re 30 and its happening all over the country. If they bring in more of these fixed odds terminals like they have in the UK it will get even worse.

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    Mute Bobby McLoughlin
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    Mar 1st 2016, 5:58 PM

    Well said Father Billy

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    Mute Kevin Fitzgerald
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    Mar 1st 2016, 6:31 PM

    You’re hardly one to talk Father Billy after all those raffle tickets!

    38
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    Mute dominick mitchell
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    Mar 1st 2016, 1:47 PM

    This is the new scourge….kids hang outside asking adults to put bets on for them. I might of done it years ago outside an off licence. But at least I fell down after 4 cans of stieger. .and got a curry tray on the way home. ..

    66
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    Mute Shane Walsh
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    Mar 1st 2016, 2:00 PM

    Sure in Rathnew, Wicklow the Post Office is right beside the Bookies and when the local youth collect their Dole they go right in and blow it. You can see this almost on a daily basis.

    63
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    Mute Martin Meyler
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    Mar 1st 2016, 3:57 PM

    But they only get their dole once a week?

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    Mute Shane Walsh
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    Mar 1st 2016, 4:22 PM

    Different people different Days. You knew what I meant.

    35
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    Mute soft
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    Mar 1st 2016, 1:56 PM

    The “buzz” you get when you win is what keeps the addiction going. When you start looking for winners or getting back to a “lucky streak” and losing more and more each day to get back above water, that is when you should realise you have a problem. If you throw alcohol along side this, then your inhibitions go away until you are sober and realise you have gambled too much and continue to try and gamble your way out of debt. It is a vicious cycle once you are sucked into it.

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    Mute Moderate Michael
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    Mar 1st 2016, 1:45 PM

    Never liked Paddy Power. Their marketing campaigns are always so deceptive and skeevy

    49
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    Mute Gary
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    Mar 1st 2016, 1:48 PM

    Nearly every pub has a bookies beside it. It has been a problem for years. People going in and losing all there wages and what do the government do? They let the bookies increase there opening time till 9pm Monday to Saturday??

    44
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    Mute Paddy Ryan
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    Mar 1st 2016, 3:28 PM

    In this day and age with mobile technology every customer in every pub has an entire casino in their pockets. Fortunately at the moment relatively few of the stereotypical drunk gambler are great with technology…at the moment.

    23
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    Mute Conor Tansey
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    Mar 1st 2016, 5:37 PM

    Open at 9 instead of 10 in the morning and close at half 9! Incredible! Their argument to make this happen was that it would create more jobs which is pure fabrication as the workers just do longer hours… although people need to learn some self control too…

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    Mute Rashers Tierney
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    Mar 1st 2016, 2:19 PM

    But sure Paddy Power is great – originally an Irish firm, and therefore immune from criticism here. Many posters here in the run up to the election cited Paddy Power as the infallible oracle who would steer us right. So gamblers may lose everything – as long as it’s with a bookie, that’s ok in this country. However, if you are a gambler in Government Bonds, commodities or futures, you should be repaid your losses and cushioned from any upset.

    41
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    Mute Michael Donnelly
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    Mar 1st 2016, 1:46 PM

    If you have a problem with an addiction then that’s your problem, no one else’s. When gambling started to cause adverse effects on this man’s personal and professional life then he should have stopped gambling, simple as that.

    37
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    Mute Who's Yer Man
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    Mar 1st 2016, 1:53 PM

    Hang on Michael, this is the 21st Century. It is always someone else’s fault. People are too stupid to think on their own, thankfully we have caring companies and the government who are willing to look after us.

    42
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    Mute proctor
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    Mar 1st 2016, 1:54 PM

    Fairly ignorant comment, like you said it’s an addiction and I’d imagine his family would disagree as that problem affected them all

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    Mute liam
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    Mar 1st 2016, 1:55 PM

    Agree to a point, personal responsibility and all that. However, some of the above was vulture like behaviour where a weakness in individuals was spotted and taken full advantage of by the bookies. A barman is supposedly obliged to cut you off if you get too drunk out of CSR, so why should a bookie be allowed to clean someone out of everything they own?

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    Mute Luke Kelly
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    Mar 1st 2016, 2:09 PM

    “simple as that”

    yes, you are Michael.

    25
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    Mute Who's Yer Man
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    Mar 1st 2016, 2:34 PM

    @Liam, so how do you stop people’s freewill? I agree, Bookies should operate with some form of CSR. There should be a limit to how much you can lose in a given day. And the problem is, there are people who frequent bookies who cannot actually afford to be losing money.

    As for my earlier comment, learn to recognise sarcasm ffs.

    I don’t like gambling. However, people who engage in it need to take part of the responsibility. I agree with others here on the impact of it on families. It’s awful.

    8
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    Mute Mark Corrigan
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    Mar 1st 2016, 2:02 PM

    Gambling is a very serious issue as it can destroy lives and families.
    Yet betting shop workers are not social workers the problem lies with the massive flashy advertising campaigns which are everywhere laced with seductive promises and deception. Its targeting everyone,you cant watch any match without betting odds and incentives to bet rolled out at you. All at the touch of a button..

    36
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    Mute TellingItAsItIs
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    Mar 2nd 2016, 3:19 PM

    Well said. The advertising of gambling is disgusting.

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    Mute dick dastardly
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    Mar 1st 2016, 2:07 PM

    Gambling is out of control,its destroyed many a person and broken up more homes.there should be more regulation in it

    29
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    Mute An Observer
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    Mar 1st 2016, 2:43 PM

    I bet most weekends with Paddy Power online. €5 on accumulators. Nothing major. Last year though I started playing Roulette on their website. Started winning €10,€20,€40,nearly doubling my money on every 3rd spin. Got up to €250 and instead of banking my money and walking away, I got greedy, started losing bit by bit and, obviously tried to reclaim my winnings. Ended up with €70 and the wrath of my wife who asked why the €250 I said I won was now gone. But I stopped. I knew I could quite easily become addicted to betting more and more money. It’s very easy for me to do that. I’m only one person but surely these people have the capability to take a step back and realise they will not recoup their losses. These websites make it easy for new members to win money when they sign up,making it all the more harder to stop though.

    24
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    Mute jerry curtin
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    Mar 1st 2016, 3:45 PM

    You can easily spot a drunk or a drug abuser, very hard to spot a gambler. It is insidious and destroys families. I have seen it first hand.

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    Mute Bernard O'Brien
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    Mar 1st 2016, 4:10 PM

    The whole industry is dependent on problem gamblers, family fortunes, peoples hard earned wages, borrowings,thefts all end up in bookies pockets. In fact if problem gamblers stopped gambling the industry would most likely collapse .

    18
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    Mute john nolan
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    Mar 1st 2016, 2:11 PM

    Coming soon paddy power babysitting service

    16
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    Mute TellingItAsItIs
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    Mar 1st 2016, 3:08 PM

    Paddy Power(and the rest of them) want every penny you got. They open 7 days a week and late most evenings. They also show racing from every corner of the Earth to get your ass into the shop. Cartoon/Virtual racing is the equivalent of slot machines and they’ve got that covered too. Of course, they’ll say “gamble responsibly” but they’re just covering their greedy asses.

    15
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    Mute Bernard mgiolla
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    Mar 1st 2016, 4:30 PM

    That gambling is legal and cannabis isn’t says it all.

    14
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    Mute Tony McSweeney
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    Mar 1st 2016, 3:07 PM

    The main issue here is the fixed odds betting terminals. A punter can sit at one of those sliding in £20 notes every 30 seconds without any interaction with staff. It can amount to hundreds if not thousands of pounds wagered in a single session. I’m sure that if a guy was having to go to the counter to have cash lodged to these machines the staff would probably have a word. Whether it would be welcomed or not is another matter. I’m not certain of the figures but read somewhere that these average profits in the high £20k’s per machine. There’s a restriction on the amount of them that can be placed per betting shop which is why you will often see multiple PP, William Hill or Ladbrokes shops in many UK high streets. It’s quite a blessing that these machines are not legal in this country. They’ve often been referred to as the crack cocaine of the betting world given the scale of the damage that they can cause. I think there is probably a two tier element to the social responsibility at play here. The average cashier in a betting shop will probably, out of a sense of moral obligation, attempt to have a quiet word (again, whether or not it would be welcomed is questionable) whereas the higher ups, who don’t have to deal with the issue on the ground, are most likely more concerned with the quarterly profit statements and the share price. To be fair the “gamble responsibly” campaign is nothing but a token gesture and is diametrically opposed to the overall strategy of a bookmaker.

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    Mute Kj bar
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    Mar 1st 2016, 4:41 PM

    Really is something shameful that bookies can close accounts of people who win on a regular basis online but no limits on how much they can lose, should be better regulation I think.

    13
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    Mute Rooney
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    Mar 1st 2016, 5:31 PM

    I like the odd bet myself maybe spend 20 or 30 a week gambling on footy or horse accums, if you can control your gambling its very fun and enjoyable but sad when people get sucked in the bookies should have a system in place where your giving a cash card and only allowed spend so much a week regardless of branch

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    Mute Louise Foy
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    Mar 1st 2016, 3:06 PM

    The bookies never lose.

    12
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    Mute Tom Burke
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    Mar 1st 2016, 5:19 PM

    Why must a bank/credit union satisfy itself that the customer with a large deposit is not moneylaundering while a bookie can accept large bets of an ordinary Joe without any question being asked

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    Mute Not_Rod_Ten©
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    Mar 1st 2016, 2:47 PM

    You should need a licence to gamble

    10
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    Mute Anonymous Man
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    Mar 1st 2016, 5:29 PM

    I have a bet on for the footy tonight. I was not encouraged by anyone.

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    Mute Jason Carroll
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    Mar 1st 2016, 3:31 PM

    There is just so many problems with gambling for example, I live in Dublin 8 and Meath Street there was four bookies and a casino ( shoot machines) up until a few weeks ago, presently there is three bookies and the same casino. There is a number of problems here in my option with this picture.

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    Mute Strong silent type
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    Mar 2nd 2016, 2:55 AM

    Criminal organisations in all but name.

    5
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