Should Advertising Gambling Be Banned?

I also think it should be banned, it's everywhere now. I don't think there is a single ad break that doesn't have a gambling ad in it now plus there's programs like The Chase sponsored by them. Sod the bookies, let the parasites go bust. Ban alcohol adverts as well for all I care, I don't drink and even when I did I never drunk something because I saw it in a advert.
 
Minusorange said:

Why addiction isn't a disease but instead the result of 'deep learning' | NDARC - National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre

This feature article on neuroscientist Marc Lewis and his new book discusses his theory that callenges the modern-day concensus on drug dependence as a brain disease, arguing that in "in reality it is a complex cultural, social, psychological and biological phenomenon" as NDARC Professor Alison...
ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au

I'm not the only one or was his addiction not Diddums "right" addiction to be classed as addiction either ?

People make a choice for their dopamine hits, you wouldn't give a serial killer a pass for killing for their dopamine hits despite being addicted to killing, why give gamblers or smack heads a pass ?
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So you found one thesis which conveniently pays very little due to the biological aspects and instead focuses on the psychological aspects instead, and you had to go all the way to Sydney to find it.

Don't get me wrong, it's a very interesting and thought provoking paper, but I'll need to see a lot more evidence before I agree with it. I already see mountains and mountains of evidence claiming otherwise.
 
Junglist said:
I’m sure you’re being extremely facetious but are you genuinely trying to draw a parallel between… gambling/drugs and murder… just so I’m up to speed.
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The argument is "an addict can't be blamed for their actions because addiction is disease" this either applies to all forms of addiction including people who are addicted to murder or it applies to none, you can't cherry pick which addictions are excusable and which aren't, it's a disease remember so it's not their fault no matter the destruction they cause

Diddums said:
So you found one thesis which conveniently pays very little due to the biological aspects and instead focuses on the psychological aspects instead, and you had to go all the way to Sydney to find it.

Don't get me wrong, it's a very interesting and thought provoking paper, but I'll need to see a lot more evidence before I agree with it. I already see mountains and mountains of evidence claiming otherwise.
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I don't care if you agree with it, it was an example that I'm not alone in my thinking, trying to make out I don't understand addiction when even literal scientists don't all agree

Here's another one

www.frontiersin.org

Frontiers | Addiction and Choice: Theory and New Data

Addiction’s biological basis has been the focus of much research. The findings have persuaded experts and the public that drug use in addicts is compulsive. ...
www.frontiersin.org www.frontiersin.org

Yes it has some basis in biology but ultimate you are making a choice to get your dopamine hit or not and you're weighing up whether the risk is worth the reward, it's why not everybody gets addicted because they are capable of deciding the risk isn't worth the reward of the dopamine hit
 
I think non-Lottery ads are banned here in NZ but only on standard channels. We bought a SKY package a week or two ago to watch the All Blacks get pumped by Argentina and the live commentary was actually a guy selling the odds and encouraging us to place bets. It was surreal because it's so uncommon here.

e: I should have read the whole thread because it looks like events have overtaken me. Minusorange off on one, ho hum.
 
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It's very over-simplified to say addiction is "a disease" implying you either have it or you don't. It's also counter-productive, as like @Minusorange says, if you tell someone they have "a disease" then it disempowers them to do anything about it. Saying its not "their fault" is also counter-productive, as ultimately it's a behavioural issue, and only they can change their behaviour. It may be that they get to the point where they can't change their behaviour by themselves, but this still doesn't mean they have "a disease" in the classic meaning of the term, more that they have reached the point of no return for correcting the problem by themselves.
 
Yes I think gambling advertising should be banned.

The adverts are terrible, they go on about how you can set gambling limits etc but really they want you to spend as much as possible.

With computer algorithms the bookies can adjust payouts of things like slots to dangle that carrot just out of reach.

I play the lottery because £15 per month gives a very small chance of a very big win for a small outlay, but apart from that I don't bother with gambling and no amount of advertising will change that.
 
I reckon banning it would definitely help the impulsive addict that is trying to cut it out of their life and going cold turkey, I wouldn't bet on it though.
 
throwaway4372 said:
This is why I advocate banning all ads. Addictions hijack your brain, but so do other ads. Plenty of times you've bought stuff because an ad planted the idea in your mind. That's why advertising is effective, a whole industry exists to get you buying stuff you wouldn't otherwise buy. Manipulating someone's brain in this way is immoral. It's no less immoral than encouraging a gambling addict to gamble.
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Being somewhat frank with my reply but that was me at maybe 7 years old, I'm always amazed how many grown up people are persuaded and easily lead by adverts. That isn't to say they have no effect on me or my purchasing at all but I rarely buy anything I wouldn't have otherwise and even when I see something in an ad which looks cool I'll do my research, look at the alternatives, whether I really need it, etc. etc.

For example the only thing in ads I've seen in recent weeks which even made any impression on me was a mini pen size electric drill, because it would be a convenient addition for my hobbies and something I'd not thought about before but actually has usefulness - but I still wouldn't buy the one in the ads as from some quick researching the advertised one is underpowered low quality junk and there is a much better quality one out there.
 
Most people will lose money gambling, but it is possible to 'beat the bookies' and do it properly with discipline, although it can be challenging if you have an addictive mindset.

I started tracking all my sports bets from the beginning of August and taking it a lot more seriously, as before it was all ad-hoc, and I'm currently over £5k in profit. Not bad for less than a month :p
 
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A2Z said:
Most people will lose money gambling, but it is possible to 'beat the bookies' and do it properly with discipline, although it can be challenging if you have an addictive mindset.

I started tracking all my sports bets from the beginning of August and taking it a lot more seriously, as before it was all ad-hoc, and I'm currently over £5k in profit. Not bad for less than a month :p
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You are in an exceptionally small minority, and there's always a chance you will start taking too much risk and lose it all.
 
bainbridge said:
I play the lottery because £15 per month gives a very small chance of a very big win for a small outlay, but apart from that I don't bother with gambling and no amount of advertising will change that.
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You have more chance of being hit by a meteorite than winning the lottery. My partner enters it every week pretty much.
 
A2Z said:
Most people will lose money gambling, but it is possible to 'beat the bookies' and do it properly with discipline, although it can be challenging if you have an addictive mindset.

I started tracking all my sports bets from the beginning of August and taking it a lot more seriously, as before it was all ad-hoc, and I'm currently over £5k in profit. Not bad for less than a month :p
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Have you tried withdrawing the winnings yet?
I worked with someone years ago who did well from sports betting but at that time had a few legal cases ongoing about obtaining his winnings as the online companies were refusing to pay out. I suspect the laws have changed recently but if I remember correctly the companies were saying something along the lines of you cannot win consistently at gambling on our systems so they must have been doing something illegal to have made so much.

For those doing the lottery, it's still gambling by the way. £15 or whatever a month is £180 a year for something you're unlikely to win big on. I remember someone once saying lotteries are a tax for the stupid.

Gambling comes in many guises too. Even investing can be considered gambling, for example, if you go into it and buy any old **** hoping it goes up.

Overall I'm fine with the advertising as it is, ie, late night usually, risks and warnings mentioned. Otherwise where do we stop? Fast food adverts, alcohol, chocolate etc. All can lead to a bad outcome if overindulge.
 
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