Journalist Wanted - Gambling Commission Complaint

michael1983l

Hello,

I will make this very brief as I do not want to go into too much detail in the public domain. I hope to gain the support of a journalist willing to publish my story on a national level if possible.

Basically I have had an aillness over the last 9 months that has just been diagnosed bipolar disorder. To cut a long story short this has been part of the reason of which fuelled an extreme gambling binge. Now my story isn't about getting my money back but about getting a system in place that protects people like me from completly destroying their lives.

I have been in correspondance with 2 well known high street bookmakers and they both claim that my level of gambling was normal and are not willing to pursue a complaint.

Ok let me highlight 2 days worth of card transactions at each bookmaker

Bookmaker 1

19 May £200
19 May £200
19 May £300
19 May £100
19 May £200
19 May £200
19 May £250
20 May £300
20 May £300

Bookmaker 2

18 May £150
18 May £200
18 May £250
19 May £200
19 May £200
19 May £200
19 May £200
19 May £300

Some of these transactions were made within minutes of each other but between the first and the last transaction in each day was no more than a few hours.

The operators have a Social Responsibility within their license set out by the gambling commission to stop this from happening, however the gambling commissions regulations are toothless as they fail to identify what an acceptable level of gambling is before somebody stops and asks you what you are doing. One operators response was that his staff are not trained to identify these problems... !!!!!!.

The card transactions were the tip of the iceberg but I would guess that between the two stores I have clocked up £30k of debt within 9 months due to this addiction in line with my illness making it worse.

What I need is some national coverage to highlight how people with addiction are being failed by the operators and the regulators and the fact of what obscene amounts the operators deem to be normal levels of gambling.

Please please someone out there who can help get in contact, I have kept all correspondance and bank statements to support my claims.

PLEASE PLEASE HELP ME TO CHANGE THIS SO THAT OTHERS DO NOT GET THE CHANCE TO DESTROY THEIR FAMILIES LIFE LIKE I HAVE.

pendulum

Cliffnotes: Done my balls, now I want the money back.

How are they to know if you have a gambling problem? You could have just been wealthy and wishing to place a few bets.

You were obviously a gambling addict so you would have found a way to gamble somehow.

halibut2209

pendulum wrote: »

Cliffnotes: Done my balls, now I want the money back.

"Now my story isn't about getting my money back"

Jeff_Bridges_hair

pendulum wrote: »

Cliffnotes: Done my balls, now I want the money back.

How are they to know if you have a gambling problem? You could have just been wealthy and wishing to place a few bets.

You were obviously a gambling addict so you would have found a way to gamble somehow.

Thats what i was thinking too. certainly reads like someone wants their money back.

I know people in my local bookies that think nothing of betting a grand a day - especially at weekends..Dont it myself at the course a few times.

Of course the OP doesnt say if he ever won anything

System

Yeah its a difficult one this. I like to gamble and will probably say gamble £10 5 times a week. That fits in with my personal financial circumstances. However if I was say a footballer I would probably gamble hundreds if not thousands of pounds a week, because if i earn £50k a week betting £10 on one game is a bit pointless....

I wouldn't expect the bookmaker to check everytime I gambled what my personal financial circumstances are.

I was in a casino last week and the guy next to me bet £100 on every hand of blackjack he played. Again I would not expect the casino to check if he was alright after each bet!

michael1983l

pendulum wrote: »

Cliffnotes: Done my balls, now I want the money back.

How are they to know if you have a gambling problem? You could have just been wealthy and wishing to place a few bets.

You were obviously a gambling addict so you would have found a way to gamble somehow.

That is the thing I wasn't a gambling addict until I was misdiagnosed with depression 9 months ago and put on some medication that would in fact have caused a much greater risk of impulsive irrational behaviour.

Also you clearly missed the start of my email where Istated in no uncertain terms

Now my story isn't about getting my money back but about getting a system in place that protects people like me from completly destroying their lives.

And they are charged by the terms of their license agreement that they must highlight problems and take necessary steps to stop it happening on their premises. Please read this if you do not believe me, the section in relation to "Social Responsibility"


http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/pdf/Licence%20conditions%20and%20codes%20of%20practice%20-%20betting%20-%20October%202010.pdf


No if you don't mind me saying thanks for your troll like response that did no good whatsoever or involved any accurate information.

Now Foxtrot Oscar

bobajob_1966

As someone with bipolar, I do not think it is the responsibility of the bookie to question your betting levels. It is for yourself and those close to you to find ways to recognise that you are in a manic phase and hence need to avoid certain activities.

I really don't see what you expect the bookies to do. I know gamblers with no MH conditions that can easily spend in the thousands over a few days, so your spending pattern is not out of the ordinary.

bobajob_1966

michael1983l wrote: »

And they are charged by the terms of their license agreement that they must highlight problems and take necessary steps to stop it happening on their premises. Please read this if you do not believe me, the section in relation to "Social Responsibility"

As already stated, your pattern of spending would not appear excessive to them.

halibut2209

Would you be seeking a journalist if you'd won your bets?

System

The other problem you have is that stories like this don't get a sympathetic viewing in the public domain. If the Sun newspaper pulblished a story about a guy who had lost £30k in 9 months by gambling I don't think there will be a public outcry in your defence. I think its more likely that members of the public will think you are an idiot. I don't agree with this view but I think thats what most people would think.

You obviously have a gambling problem which I do believe is an illness (as much as any addiction). If you don't do already I would suggets you speak to the relevant support associations who exist to help people with this problem.

michael1983l

halibut2209 wrote: »

Would you be seeking a journalist if you'd won your bets?

I won some bets of course and now I have been given the right medication and I have taken the steps to stand up to this I can say yes I would.

If I could have it my way gambling would be outlawed, just going into the bookmakers and seeing their regulars will give you the impression that only bad comes of it. As for your previous comment, I of course don't expect them to know anything about my medical condition ALL I AM ASKING IS FOR THE BOOKMAKERS TO ABIDE BY THE REGULATIONS SET OUT TO THEM IN TERMS OF THEIR LICENSE AGREEMENT.