- Joined
- Feb 15, 2019
New study from the University of Bristol suggests children are exposed to gambling adverts on social media platforms. Full details here: Concern Raised over Children exposed to Gambling Adverts on Social Media Platforms
I believe the UK is the only country in the world that it is legal for even a 7/8 year old child to bet on £5 jackpot gambling machines.
This sounds harmless, but some of these £5 jackpot machines can pay streaks of over £50, which obviously makes them highly addictive.
Rob
Most seaside resorts have removed the real money machines for children now you mostly get crappy tokens for crappy prizes now. There are still some machines but they are getting smaller as the cheap seaside amusements realise tokens are easier to deal with and most people will just end up throwing them away.I believe the UK is the only country in the world that it is legal for even a 7/8 year old child to bet on £5 jackpot gambling machines.
This sounds harmless, but some of these £5 jackpot machines can pay streaks of over £50, which obviously makes them highly addictive.
Rob
I started on fruit machines when I was 10. Fascinated by them. Mostly 8 to £10 jackpot at that stage and the odd Club that had £250 jackpot 4 reelers. I lived in these arcades gambling constantly when I could. There were absolutely no restrictions until about 2000ish. It created a generation of gamblers and a lot are now classed as problem gamblers it has to be said.
Most seaside resorts have removed the real money machines for children now you mostly get crappy tokens for crappy prizes now. There are still some machines but they are getting smaller as the cheap seaside amusements realise tokens are easier to deal with and most people will just end up throwing them away.
I remember that era also. I can safely say I was addicted to fruit machines from the age of 12/13. I would spend the whole weekend and some weeknights hanging around the local seaside arcades.
Back then they still had an over 18s ‘all cash’ area, but I could still play £8 token jackpot games such as sonic the hedgehog, labyrinth, viva Espana and hundreds more lol.
My earliest memory of gambling and probably addiction was £2 jackpot 2p play game called Line Up from Barcrest.
I’m too young to remember bellfruits and dirty looking mustard buttons
Rob