To think posters shouldn’t be encouraging people to do matched betting?

[AnywhereAnyoneAnyTime]

Whenever someone posts on here that they need to make money posters rush to suggest matched betting.
Gambling is an insidious pastime which ruins lives. If I ruled the world online gambling would be banned.
Every day in my job I see the impact that gambling has on people, and then we have threads on here from people encouraging people to gamble as a way to make money. Yes, if done correctly you can make money matched betting, but therein lies the problem, it’s all too easy to be lured into deeper gambling to try to make more, and the gambling companies want people to be addicted.

I am with you OP. Matched betting is suggested to those on MN who have debts. Therefore they probably aren't disciplined with money and would probably struggle with MB.

Not knocking people- I work in Finance and am very good with numbers. I looked at matched betting and decided it was too dangerous as I might not be disciplined enough.

lol @AnywhereAnyoneAnyTime I have never heard of this. But you talking about it has promoted it. So I wonder how many people will do it now because of you.

I made about £5k in six months doing MB before the offers dried up and it became hard work, then I stopped. The first time you do it though - once you spend a bit of time getting your head around it, it's actually astounding how quickly and easily you make money.

I've recommended MB on here before and I probably will do again. The same as I'd think nothing about inviting a new work colleague to a great bar i'd found for drinks on Friday.

Everyone has to take responsibility for themselves. Not visiting gambling sites if you suspect you might become addicted, not visiting bars if you suspect you might become addicted - it's kind of a given. I don't tie myself up in knots over it tbh.

Absolutely agree that mental health services are lacking. But I don’t know if many people are aware that there are people who have developed a debilitating addiction from one big win in their first gambling session.

This is information I’ve had first hand from support services for people affected by others’ gambling.

No one is saying everyone will get addicted. Of course they won’t. But some will. I absolutely wouldn’t be comfortable encouraging people into the gambling industry with that knowledge. Especially when, as you mention, there are so many people with untreated mental health problems due to the awful state of mental healthcare.

I’m curious about your example of inviting a colleague for drinks. Would you specifically recommend that they have an alcoholic drink? Or leave them to choose whether to order a tonic water?

I'm also not sure that there are any good sources of information on who “might become addicted”, if you’re recommending that only potential addicts avoid such things? It’s easy to make assumptions about addicts (intelligence level, class, background, all sorts). But it’s simply not the reality. I couldn’t guess who is likely to become addicted to gambling, and I’ve seen it happen at close quarters.

I’m curious about your example of inviting a colleague for drinks. Would you specifically recommend that they have an alcoholic drink? Or leave them to choose whether to order a tonic water?

I've made recommendations before on drinks...totally normal ime. 'The X cocktail here is amazing' type comments.

If someone was an alcoholic and I recommended visiting a bar (or an actual drink) then I'd expect them to decline. If someone was a gambling addict and I recommended MB which involves visiting gambling sites, I'd expect them to decline.

Obviously I wouldn't make either recommendation if I KNEW someone was a gambling or alcohol addict.

If, however, someone with no history of gambling addiction started MB on my recommendation then got drawn into gambling in a damaging way then tbph I wouldn't feel any personal guilt over that. No more than if that friend who came to the bar with me descended into alcoholism.

People make their own choices. You (general you) can't be a gatekeeper for everything.

I made money from it a few years ago and it got me out of a hole. It becomes increasingly time consuming and less profitable so I stopped doing it.
if you have any predisposition towards addictive behaviour, then it’s a recipe for disaster. I read so many stories on the MB forums about people getting out of control. I’d never recommend it as a way to earn money now, you never know who is going to be able to stop when they need to.

That’s a very clear response.

We’re coming from different places on this one. Having been affected by someone else’s addiction, I’m aware how widespread the effects can be, and could no longer recommend anything with potential addiction issues.

It won’t stop addictions - that’s another debate.

Like you say, everyone has their own choice and their own responsibility for their own actions.

Many things are addictive.
I know of someone who is addicted to online shopping. They love researching, comparing prices etc but as soon as they enter their card details the good feelings are gone. So they go on to the next purchase to get the good feelings back.
Their family are trying to deal by reducing the credit limit on their card, returning purchases when they can etc. It's a horrible situation for everyone but it doesn't mean that shops shouldn't advertise. Nor does it mean that shops shouldn't sell to people who buy a lot.
I think online gambling is dangerous too. Before you had to go to a bookies and it was very public and going in to a bookies was looked down upon. (Unless you were my mother and her cronies who discovered you could get cheap coffee and cake at the bookies. Imagine a group of pensioners storming the bookies on a Tuesday morning for their weekly treat. I guarantee the number of bets placed those mornings dropped when met by the disapproving stares and loud comments about a fool and his money ☺️) Now it's private and hidden until problems are too big to deal with.
But we have to take personal responsibility for our actions and, where there is an addiction, take as many steps as we can to mitigate damage and minimise personal exposure. But banning things and removing the right of all people to make a personal decision is wrong.

I’m also glad that there were existing restrictions on bookmakers, well before the internet came along.

They always seem to have closed fronts (is this a licensing condition?), no other products available and of course the age restriction has been in place for years.

Otherwise we’d probably have had them setting up in partnership with coffee chains on high streets and luring people in with a latte, a muffin and a free bet…Thank god for regulation!

But of course, matched betting probably wouldn’t be a thing either if people had to traipse down to a bookmaker and then make their way to a second bookmaker in order to place their lay bet.

To put this all into context, Denise Coates is the founder of Bet365 (which went online in 2001) and has wealth estimated at 7 billion dollars. Aged 56.

Oh well, so you can get coffee and cake there? Glad I’m on a diet these days!

Alcohol is better regulated though. If I go out for a drink, I don't have the bar man follow me home asking if I want just one more. If I feel like I have been drinking too much and decide to go sober for a month I don't have alcohol manufacturers in my living room at 9 am saying "go on just have one" while I post on Mumsnet work. Because its online, its impossible to get away from in a way that isn't the case for alcohol, drugs or even traditional gambling addictions.

And don't get me started on the computer games with gambling built in deliberately targeting children.

Agree there's literally 24/7 access, im sure it has become a lot more profitable and caused a lot more issues, since being online. All the physical addictions require the person (or someone assisting them ) to actively go and get the alcohol/food/drugs etc whereas you can be gambling from your house at any time.
(Also all the bingo ads which is obviously not betting but still a type of gambling)

Seen it mentioned loads. Never tried ot, never really understand it to be honest.
I'm glad I've never done it.

Completely disagree. There are adverts for alcohol all the time on TV promoting it as a glam life style choice. There are happy hours, there are buy one get one free offers in pubs, supermarkets are open 24/7 where you can access alcohol etc You can order alcohol to your house now so to say its not accessible from home is simply not true.

If you think alcohol isnt subtly promoted to us from birth you are being extremely naive. Alcohol is woven through the fabric of our society as a social lubricant in a way no other potentially addictive product or activity is. Its portrayed in films and on TV when some glam actor takes a whiskey etc

Some people on this thread havent even heard of matched betting as a prime example but everyone knows about alcohol.

Matched betting isnt done at every social occasion you could ever go to, it isnt done on social occasions, meals out, weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, work events, even kids parties etc.

Betting can of course cause financial ruin when done to excess but excessive alcohol literally causes cancer, liver failure and death, not to mention drink driving and aggravating domestic abuse. In 2022, there were 10,048 deaths (16.6 per 100,000 people) from alcohol-specific causes registered in the UK, the highest number on record.22 Apr 2024 for example.

I am not saying betting addiction is fine. It isnt. But to be concerned about the social harm and risk of betting addiction and yet not be concerned in comparison to the harm caused by alcohol is a little bit ridiculous.

You didn't look into it very well then.

It's helpful to have a larger bankroll available - as then you can complete more offers at once - but it's not essential. I started with £500 of my own cash in February this year and got my balances up to £2000 by June, and found for what I do this was the maximum I'd really need available. Every time I get to £2500 I withdraw £500 (3 times so far).

I could withdraw everything bar £100 and I'd still get back to £2000 again - it would just take much longer.

Yabu. Matched betting is the reverse of gambling. As a passionate opposer of gambling, I love nothing.more than taking a few bob from the greasy mitts of gambling companies. I detest them.

Realistically, alcohol is available 24/7 even without leaving the house.
You could argue that at least gambling is not a central part of a large majority of social outings.

Bottom line: I disagree with OP. Everybody is responsible for their own actions, if someone has an idea or advice they shouldn’t censor themselves just because some people might not follow it properly.

I did matched betting. I was surprised - or was I - for the number of emails and text messages I got encouraging betting, giving casino offers etc. Reminders of games, special odds.

All designed to get you to bet.

Realistically, alcohol is available 24/7 even without leaving the house.
You could argue that at least gambling is not a central part of a large majority of social outings

I agree. Culturally, alcohol is far more acceptable than betting. I've yet to see "mummy's betting time" or "betting o'clock time" as a meme on social media yet you see it with alcohol literally constantly. I've also yet to see a parent hand a child a betting slip when they are 12 with the view that "oh give them a try of having a bet- it will make it seem less forbidden when they are older- its what the French do!"

Betting can be addictive for sure but noone brags about how they bet in the same way people brag about how much alcohol they've imbibed as if it's some kind of proud achievement- "Oh I was SO wasted last night tee tee" etc

The image of someone who bets is typically someone a bit sad who spends all their life down the bookies or at the slot machines. Wine on the other hand has an entire culture attached to it of posh people tasting it and then spouting nonsense about its "full bodied bouquet" blah blah blah.

If you are going to decide that people cannot take responsibility for their life choices then that should apply to everything that is harmful, not just betting.

My DH is a MB addict 7 days a week 52 weeks a year never takes time off ruined our marriage
he has RSI and is a recluse as this horrible system

This hits home for sure. Seen how quickly matched betting can turn from a “safe” way to make money into chasing losses, and it’s easy to slip into deeper gambling.

Came across a site like Equipe Media that was upfront about risks and had tools to keep things in check, which helped keep things balanced. But overall, the line is thin, and it’s tough when gambling companies push hard—they want addiction, not just casual play.

I don't know what you're doing peddling that highly dubious link on Mumsnet. What exactly are you doing?