News 2018 General AFL Discussion

[Joffaboy]

So today I got a long email from my brother who has been living in Gundagai for the last few years, explaining how during that time and probably for about a year before he had been on the poker machines. A rough estimate of how much he lost in this time is around eighty thousand dollars. Spent many Saturdays travelling to Wagga or Tumut just to gamble. He basically spent a lot of what he could afford on the pokies. Also spent a fair bit of money on lottery tickets.

His partner only found out about this on Saturday and is very upset as she thought he would be saving money for their future together, and they are likely to break up.

He's already begun to get help, seeing a gambling counselor. He doesn't see himself as a victim, hes taken ownership of his addiction problem (addicted to cigarettes too) just feels foolish and guilty.

I know this is no one's fault and he has an addiction problem and just taking poker machines away won't solve those problems, but today I read this article about Collingwood getting rid of all their (overt) gambling connections and i make absolutely no bones that I yearn with all my heart for a day when our club stops profiting from human weakness in this way.

http://m.afl.com.au/news/2018-12-11/bombers-win-pokies-extension-as-magpies-bow-out

The Pies are a rich club, and one of the reasons they've got rich is from their use of Poker Machines so I'm not idealistic to imagine they're better than us, but I sure as hell celebrate another club cutting their ties with this shameful activity.

I urge anyone with similar problems to recognise that addiction is difficult to tackle alone, and that talking to others and allowing them to hear your story and possibly help doesn't make you vulnerable, you are strong to look yourself in the mirror and address your weaknesses.

I'm proud of my brother for doing something about his problem and hope anyone with problems like this can find the strength to do the same.

So sorry to hear that austinnn.

Addiction is a terrible thing.

Hope he recovers and turns his life around.

On [device_name] using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Ads734]

So today I got a long email from my brother who has been living in Gundagai for the last few years, explaining how during that time and probably for about a year before he had been on the poker machines. A rough estimate of how much he lost in this time is around eighty thousand dollars. Spent many Saturdays travelling to Wagga or Tumut just to gamble. He basically spent a lot of what he could afford on the pokies. Also spent a fair bit of money on lottery tickets.

His partner only found out about this on Saturday and is very upset as she thought he would be saving money for their future together, and they are likely to break up.

He's already begun to get help, seeing a gambling counselor. He doesn't see himself as a victim, hes taken ownership of his addiction problem (addicted to cigarettes too) just feels foolish and guilty.

I know this is no one's fault and he has an addiction problem and just taking poker machines away won't solve those problems, but today I read this article about Collingwood getting rid of all their (overt) gambling connections and i make absolutely no bones that I yearn with all my heart for a day when our club stops profiting from human weakness in this way.

http://m.afl.com.au/news/2018-12-11/bombers-win-pokies-extension-as-magpies-bow-out

The Pies are a rich club, and one of the reasons they've got rich is from their use of Poker Machines so I'm not idealistic to imagine they're better than us, but I sure as hell celebrate another club cutting their ties with this shameful activity.

I urge anyone with similar problems to recognise that addiction is difficult to tackle alone, and that talking to others and allowing them to hear your story and possibly help doesn't make you vulnerable, you are strong to look yourself in the mirror and address your weaknesses.

I'm proud of my brother for doing something about his problem and hope anyone with problems like this can find the strength to do the same.

So Much this, The gambling culture in Australia, that goes from pokie machines all the way to sports betting is as far as I'm concerned one of if not the biggest blights on our country. It sickens me to see how big sports betting is in young men who have developed addictions and there is no doubt in my mind that it that the copious gambling advertisement has played a huge role in this.

Furthermore the whole warped situation of gambling in Australian culture was no clearer to me then when Jimmy shaved his beard for domestic violence and who was there to sponsor him on that day, yep the TAB.

For those wondering there is a link between domestic violence and gambling so yea lost some respect for Jimmy that day.

Anyways all the best for your bro I support anyone who has suffered gambling addictions and anything to prevent them.

 

[Human Person]

So today I got a long email from my brother who has been living in Gundagai for the last few years, explaining how during that time and probably for about a year before he had been on the poker machines. A rough estimate of how much he lost in this time is around eighty thousand dollars. Spent many Saturdays travelling to Wagga or Tumut just to gamble. He basically spent a lot of what he could afford on the pokies. Also spent a fair bit of money on lottery tickets.

His partner only found out about this on Saturday and is very upset as she thought he would be saving money for their future together, and they are likely to break up.

He's already begun to get help, seeing a gambling counselor. He doesn't see himself as a victim, hes taken ownership of his addiction problem (addicted to cigarettes too) just feels foolish and guilty.

I know this is no one's fault and he has an addiction problem and just taking poker machines away won't solve those problems, but today I read this article about Collingwood getting rid of all their (overt) gambling connections and i make absolutely no bones that I yearn with all my heart for a day when our club stops profiting from human weakness in this way.

http://m.afl.com.au/news/2018-12-11/bombers-win-pokies-extension-as-magpies-bow-out

The Pies are a rich club, and one of the reasons they've got rich is from their use of Poker Machines so I'm not idealistic to imagine they're better than us, but I sure as hell celebrate another club cutting their ties with this shameful activity.

I urge anyone with similar problems to recognise that addiction is difficult to tackle alone, and that talking to others and allowing them to hear your story and possibly help doesn't make you vulnerable, you are strong to look yourself in the mirror and address your weaknesses.

I'm proud of my brother for doing something about his problem and hope anyone with problems like this can find the strength to do the same.

Thanks for sharing Austinnn, I couldn’t agree more that gambling is a blight, especially on the lower classes, who are usually the most footy mad. It has unfortunately become an integral part of every Aussie sport, with all websites and Television shows showing the betting odds as the best way to gauge who is most likely to win.

All the best for your Brother, hope he can find the support and strength he needs to overcome it.

 

[gringo2011]

So today I got a long email from my brother who has been living in Gundagai for the last few years, explaining how during that time and probably for about a year before he had been on the poker machines. A rough estimate of how much he lost in this time is around eighty thousand dollars. Spent many Saturdays travelling to Wagga or Tumut just to gamble. He basically spent a lot of what he could afford on the pokies. Also spent a fair bit of money on lottery tickets.

His partner only found out about this on Saturday and is very upset as she thought he would be saving money for their future together, and they are likely to break up.

He's already begun to get help, seeing a gambling counselor. He doesn't see himself as a victim, hes taken ownership of his addiction problem (addicted to cigarettes too) just feels foolish and guilty.

I know this is no one's fault and he has an addiction problem and just taking poker machines away won't solve those problems, but today I read this article about Collingwood getting rid of all their (overt) gambling connections and i make absolutely no bones that I yearn with all my heart for a day when our club stops profiting from human weakness in this way.

http://m.afl.com.au/news/2018-12-11/bombers-win-pokies-extension-as-magpies-bow-out

The Pies are a rich club, and one of the reasons they've got rich is from their use of Poker Machines so I'm not idealistic to imagine they're better than us, but I sure as hell celebrate another club cutting their ties with this shameful activity.

I urge anyone with similar problems to recognise that addiction is difficult to tackle alone, and that talking to others and allowing them to hear your story and possibly help doesn't make you vulnerable, you are strong to look yourself in the mirror and address your weaknesses.

I'm proud of my brother for doing something about his problem and hope anyone with problems like this can find the strength to do the same.

It's particularly hard in places like Gundagai where there is pretty much the RSL club full of pokies and the pub full of pokies. They are insidious socially destructive monstrosities that make you hide from social isolation rather than improve it. Of all of Jeff Kennett's shitty political decisions the legalisation of gambling has been the most destructive. They government spends more cleaning up the mess it makes than it earns in taxes. It's not going away unfortunately.

 

[Pardon me]

It's particularly hard in places like Gundagai where there is pretty much the RSL club full of pokies and the pub full of pokies. They are insidious socially destructive monstrosities that make you hide from social isolation rather than improve it. Of all of Jeff Kennett's shitty political decisions the legalisation of gambling has been the most destructive. They government spends more cleaning up the mess it makes than it earns in taxes. It's not going away unfortunately.

#familyclub

 

[Mikka84]

So today I got a long email from my brother who has been living in Gundagai for the last few years, explaining how during that time and probably for about a year before he had been on the poker machines. A rough estimate of how much he lost in this time is around eighty thousand dollars. Spent many Saturdays travelling to Wagga or Tumut just to gamble. He basically spent a lot of what he could afford on the pokies. Also spent a fair bit of money on lottery tickets.

His partner only found out about this on Saturday and is very upset as she thought he would be saving money for their future together, and they are likely to break up.

He's already begun to get help, seeing a gambling counselor. He doesn't see himself as a victim, hes taken ownership of his addiction problem (addicted to cigarettes too) just feels foolish and guilty.

I know this is no one's fault and he has an addiction problem and just taking poker machines away won't solve those problems, but today I read this article about Collingwood getting rid of all their (overt) gambling connections and i make absolutely no bones that I yearn with all my heart for a day when our club stops profiting from human weakness in this way.

http://m.afl.com.au/news/2018-12-11/bombers-win-pokies-extension-as-magpies-bow-out

The Pies are a rich club, and one of the reasons they've got rich is from their use of Poker Machines so I'm not idealistic to imagine they're better than us, but I sure as hell celebrate another club cutting their ties with this shameful activity.

I urge anyone with similar problems to recognise that addiction is difficult to tackle alone, and that talking to others and allowing them to hear your story and possibly help doesn't make you vulnerable, you are strong to look yourself in the mirror and address your weaknesses.

I'm proud of my brother for doing something about his problem and hope anyone with problems like this can find the strength to do the same.

Mate - terribly sorry to hear this. Addiction effects a lot of people, in many different forms. I’m literally the last person that should be commenting on this given my line of work, but I’m also one of the most informed.

I have contacts with a lot of specialists that deal with this disease. If I can be of any help, please let me know.

It seems as though he’s doing the right steps. Admitting he has a problem is the hardest part. He’ll need help from all that are closest to him. You will play a bigger part in his recovery than you might think. He will need you at the hardest times - and those times that are hardest are actually the times he’s feeling good. His guard will be down, thinking he’s recovered and then it can break in a blink of an eye. A phone call or text to see if he’s ok can make all the difference.

 

[dct66]

So today I got a long email from my brother who has been living in Gundagai for the last few years, explaining how during that time and probably for about a year before he had been on the poker machines. A rough estimate of how much he lost in this time is around eighty thousand dollars. Spent many Saturdays travelling to Wagga or Tumut just to gamble. He basically spent a lot of what he could afford on the pokies. Also spent a fair bit of money on lottery tickets.

His partner only found out about this on Saturday and is very upset as she thought he would be saving money for their future together, and they are likely to break up.

He's already begun to get help, seeing a gambling counselor. He doesn't see himself as a victim, hes taken ownership of his addiction problem (addicted to cigarettes too) just feels foolish and guilty.

I know this is no one's fault and he has an addiction problem and just taking poker machines away won't solve those problems, but today I read this article about Collingwood getting rid of all their (overt) gambling connections and i make absolutely no bones that I yearn with all my heart for a day when our club stops profiting from human weakness in this way.

http://m.afl.com.au/news/2018-12-11/bombers-win-pokies-extension-as-magpies-bow-out

The Pies are a rich club, and one of the reasons they've got rich is from their use of Poker Machines so I'm not idealistic to imagine they're better than us, but I sure as hell celebrate another club cutting their ties with this shameful activity.

I urge anyone with similar problems to recognise that addiction is difficult to tackle alone, and that talking to others and allowing them to hear your story and possibly help doesn't make you vulnerable, you are strong to look yourself in the mirror and address your weaknesses.

I'm proud of my brother for doing something about his problem and hope anyone with problems like this can find the strength to do the same.

Sorry to hear about your brother austinnn but at least he has taken the first step(s) to recovery. I would love the Saints to cut the gambling ties too. Get rid of the pokies and turn the Social Club at Moorabbin into a proper family bistro/cafe. Trust the supporters to support that as a venue. I seem to remember we're well down on the pokie income list anyway so lets ditch it.

 

[St Muir]

So today I got a long email from my brother who has been living in Gundagai for the last few years, explaining how during that time and probably for about a year before he had been on the poker machines. A rough estimate of how much he lost in this time is around eighty thousand dollars. Spent many Saturdays travelling to Wagga or Tumut just to gamble. He basically spent a lot of what he could afford on the pokies. Also spent a fair bit of money on lottery tickets.

His partner only found out about this on Saturday and is very upset as she thought he would be saving money for their future together, and they are likely to break up.

He's already begun to get help, seeing a gambling counselor. He doesn't see himself as a victim, hes taken ownership of his addiction problem (addicted to cigarettes too) just feels foolish and guilty.

I know this is no one's fault and he has an addiction problem and just taking poker machines away won't solve those problems, but today I read this article about Collingwood getting rid of all their (overt) gambling connections and i make absolutely no bones that I yearn with all my heart for a day when our club stops profiting from human weakness in this way.

http://m.afl.com.au/news/2018-12-11/bombers-win-pokies-extension-as-magpies-bow-out

The Pies are a rich club, and one of the reasons they've got rich is from their use of Poker Machines so I'm not idealistic to imagine they're better than us, but I sure as hell celebrate another club cutting their ties with this shameful activity.

I urge anyone with similar problems to recognise that addiction is difficult to tackle alone, and that talking to others and allowing them to hear your story and possibly help doesn't make you vulnerable, you are strong to look yourself in the mirror and address your weaknesses.

I'm proud of my brother for doing something about his problem and hope anyone with problems like this can find the strength to do the same.

I hate the bloody things. I'm one of the lucky ones, they bore me stupid. Not only have they encouraged/led to gambling addiction, they've also destroyed the atmosphere in pubs around Australia - WA excepted. It's no coincidence that most up & coming bands come from WA now, there's very few venues left for young musicians elsewhere.

 

[Sir Skid]

I hate the bloody things. I'm one of the lucky ones, they bore me stupid. Not only have they encouraged/led to gambling addiction, they've also destroyed the atmosphere in pubs around Australia - WA excepted. It's no coincidence that most up & coming bands come from WA now, there's very few venues left for young musicians elsewhere.

I rarely go into pokies venues but every time I do I can't help but look around at who's playing them and imagine how much they've spent over their journey. Truthfully, I hate the bloody things and how many lives they and other addictions have wrecked.

 

[L_W_P]

I watched my old man put thousands into the things right through my childhood. The worst was when he would win a mini jackpot (say $2000) and then play it down to $1500 in case it went off again. He was looking at it as being $1500 up. I saw it as losing $500...

I pitched an idea in my psych class during high school, 15 years ago, that in order to play pokies you should have to insert your drivers ID. Then the machine would keep a tally of your profit/loss over your lifetime and display it in a little window in the top right hand corner of the screen.

The idea was that over time people would see how much they were wasting and it would trigger them to get help before the losses got too deep.

My teacher thought it was a really good idea but then spoke about the dangers of people "chasing losses" and that it was that kind of thinking that really hooked most addicts. They are already so far in the hole, why not keep digging in the hope of hitting it rich and getting back in the black?

They are an absolute scourge on society and I ******* hate them.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

Gambling can be fun but you need to keep a lid on it.
Pokies must be the LEAST fun form of gambling.
Before i got married i used to spend $50 bucks on chips at the Casino and mostly mess around with Roulette.
I could last half an hour and walk out with nothing , or I could play for hours. Most i'd ever win was a few hundred buck because i wasn't doing the " i feel lucky about number 3 " thing.

My wife and i went to Vegas back in the 1990's .
There was a really good Video game area inside the Casino we stayed at, but outside the gaming area.
We worked out quickly that it was designed for Adults to leave their kids in it , and so they weren't bothering their parents, who were busy losing serious cash, the video games were setup a) really cheap, b) easy to win replays .

We played linked together racing games for hours.

 

[NextYearPlease]

What Collingwood has done has not reduced the number of pokies 'out there', it has simply transferred the ownership. They have sold the licences for a price that would no doubt reflect their future earning capacity and in a sense simply brought forward future revenue income to a curent capital gain. At least in the past 'profits' where arguable redirected into sport and the various other social programs that Collingwood(and St Kilda) run. Now there are no fewer licences or opportunities to gamble and the profits go to some faceless corporate.

 

[St Muir]

What Collingwood has done has not reduced the number of pokies 'out there', it has simply transferred the ownership. They have sold the licences for a price that would no doubt reflect their future earning capacity and in a sense simply brought forward future revenue income to a curent capital gain. At least in the past 'profits' where arguable redirected into sport and the various other social programs that Collingwood(and St Kilda) run. Now there are no fewer licences or opportunities to gamble and the profits go to some faceless corporate.

You're right....unfortunately!

 

[Human Person]

Sooo with the AFLX captaincy thing. Fyfe’s team has wings due to his marking ability, and Riewoldt’s team are bulls due to his “ability to break tackles.”

Did I miss something? Surely that should be the other way around!

 

[Mikka84]

What Collingwood has done has not reduced the number of pokies 'out there', it has simply transferred the ownership. They have sold the licences for a price that would no doubt reflect their future earning capacity and in a sense simply brought forward future revenue income to a curent capital gain. At least in the past 'profits' where arguable redirected into sport and the various other social programs that Collingwood(and St Kilda) run. Now there are no fewer licences or opportunities to gamble and the profits go to some faceless corporate.

The pokie licences are club licences. They can only be sold to another club for around $4500 per machine. I’m not sure the total amount Collingwood had - but the maximum per venue is 105. Guessing they still operate around 300 machines, so around 1.2mill. A lot, but those machines would net around 4-5mill per annum, with the tax minimal on club gaming profits.

 

[cartel]

I think melbourne racing club bought the venues collingwood owned... A pub in ringwood and somewhere up in the outer northern suburbs I think.

I work with someone who used to get in strife from the venue managers when she was working as a gaming supervisor and used to encourage some of the aged pensioners to have a coffee and a chat and then go home instead of playing them.

Sent from my F8331 using Tapatalk

 

[st_trav_ofWA]

wow just read the Majak Daw fell from a bridge and broke his hip .... thats gotta be up there with Graham Polak getting hit by a tram as one of the most unlikely pre-season injurys

 

[Mikka84]

wow just read the Majak Daw fell from a bridge and broke his hip .... thats gotta be up there with Graham Polak getting hit by a tram as one of the most unlikely pre-season injurys

I’d just hold back on any comments... it looks a fair bit more serious than him falling. Again - a dark reminder how anyone can be going through awful times. Get better soon Majak.

 

[st_trav_ofWA]

I’d just hold back on any comments... it looks a fair bit more serious than him falling. Again - a dark reminder how anyone can be going through awful times. Get better soon Majak.

yeah just read a bit more about it ...
the initial story said fell and not knowing the bridge was a frigging huge bridge i though it was like a footbridge thing .... sound to be prety heavy stuff ..

 

[Drake Huggins]

Pokies are not gambling in the strictest sense. It's only gambling when all sides involved are taking a risk. The machines are set to return 87 cents in every dollar "invested" by the punter, or thereabouts. That is simply charging someone to play a game, with the chance that person might win occasionally. Pokie owners are no different to drug dealers or pimps, IMHO. Take no risk, rake in the profits and ruin lives in the process. How it's legal in the first place can only be explained by the rich and powerful having the right connections.

Drug dealers operate in a similar way, often giving away a taste or two as a "loss leader" to get the person hooked. There's plenty of literature on the similarities in brain chemistry between drug taking and gambling. Same principle. It is extremely effective, and hey presto, legal. All the best to your brother, Austinnn. He faces a hard struggle because the addiction is physical and psychological. All the best to you both.

 

[lewdogs]

Terrible news about Majak. I hope he can recover his mental health. Very sad.

 

[St Kilda Death]

On the pokies thing.
Yeah soul sucking machines.
I'd love to see the saints use their club in a different way, make it a live music venue to attract the locals.
Host hot aussie acts, get some cross promotion going on with triple j.
Great PR and good news story even if it doesn't bring in huge profit or convert young members.

 

[Saint Watto]

On the pokies thing.
Yeah soul sucking machines.
I'd love to see the saints use their club in a different way, make it a live music venue to attract the locals.
Host hot aussie acts, get some cross promotion going on with triple j.
Great PR and good news story even if it doesn't bring in huge profit or convert young members.

The Pokies came up as a question at tonights AGM.

A very long and detailed question(what is the clubs strategy with them and will be get rid of them) was asked by a guy in the audience.

Essentially both Andrew Bassett and Matt Finnis said the club is right now discussing a long term plan/strategy for the pokies...…….they would prefer that we were out of that side of the business but the harsh reality is that with our current debt situation.....we just have to continue with them for the time being.

They both said the club is trying very hard to be as "socially responsible " with them as possible.

I'm personally hoping that when we are eventually out of debt....we will discontinue them.

 

[saint66au]

The Pokies came up as a question at tonights AGM.

A very long and detailed question(what is the clubs strategy with them and will be get rid of them) was asked by a guy in the audience.

Essentially both Andrew Bassett and Matt Finnis said the club is right now discussing a long term plan/strategy for the pokies...…….they would prefer that we were out of that side of the business but the harsh reality is that with our current debt situation.....we just have to continue with them for the time being.

They both said the club is trying very hard to be as "socially responsible " with them as possible.

I'm personally hoping that when we are eventually out of debt....we will discontinue them.

That bloke asks the same question every year. A few years ago he attended (along with his mate activist Stephen Mayne) and tried to hijack the meeting asking numerous questions about Board members (Ian McLeod from memory who was on the Coles board) and their individual connctions to pokie companies.

Im very comfortable with the Saints stand on social issues..but as was explained tonight, we just cant afford to throw our pokies out for the moment.

 

[Saint Watto]

That bloke asks the same question every year. A few years ago he attended (along with his mate activist Stephen Mayne) and tried to hijack the meeting asking numerous questions about Board members (Ian McLeod from memory who was on the Coles board) and their individual connctions to pokie companies.

Im very comfortable with the Saints stand on social issues..but as was explained tonight, we just cant afford to throw our pokies out for the moment.

So he's a repeat offender...lol.

It's everyone's right to ask a question at an AGM and when he started reading from his piece of paper....I thought..."here we go again"

I'm also comfortable with where we sit with the Pokies......it's becoming quite a "hotbed " topic.

The only saving grace for me at the moment with them is that we generate the lowest rev/income from them in the comp.

I grabbed last week the latest stats on some clubs and I'll post later today.

The Hawks were absolutely smashing it out of the park with Pokies rev over the last year.