[Vicky.]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

This is 100% correct, and there's also literally NO "profile" of a problem gambler when it comes to machines. Tell me that someone is hooked on the horses or dogs and I can tell you that 90%+ of them are going to be men aged between 50 and 70. Tell me that someone has a football betting problem and it's a good bet that they're a younger male, often age 21 - 35.

Machines? It's a **** show. Guys who have just turned 18, girls on their way out to a club, older blokes who used to bet over the counter but now funnel all their spare cash into the things, mums out shopping with their kids knocking at the door for them to hurry up, little old ladies from the bingo hall. People in expensive suits, people in labourer gear, people who have clearly just rolled off their couch after a joint. Literally anyone you point at in the street .

A fair few times through my life I have 'popped in' to the bandits on my way to meet friends and ended up having to go home rather than meet anyone, or make up some excuse saying I haven't been paid so can anyone lend me anything. Whenever I go in, as you say its a mix of people. The low stakes ones tend to be mainly little old ladies sitting there all day from what I have seen. But anything above like 10p per spin, its all people. I once saw my doctor in there, shovelling hundred in..its insane. And as I keep saying I know its insane, yet I still convince myself I can just pop in, try a tenner and maybe come away loaded, and if not, its only a tenner. If only it stayed at only a tenner tbh..