Our Nanny State Is At It Again!

[Less]

I have mentioned before that I enjoy a flutter on the horses, never a day goes by without me pitting my wits and cash against the bookies. It a hard task the bookies do tend to make winning just a touch difficult, despite this by carefully choosing the steeds I back I usually make a small profit.

I've been doing My betting online and through my 'phones app for over 10 years now (long before the gambling aware nonsense appeared on the scene) and like the majority of my fellow punters manage to steer clear of debt.

I will never be rich betting the way I do, but, the satisfaction and enjoyment gained from watching a race and occasionally seeing your horse come in more than makes up for it.

The thing is, just over a week ago I noticed the company I bet with has now started a running total of how much I'm either up or down for the month, fair enough it's nice to see an instant display of how I'm doing, not to curb my gambling but to keep me on track so that my cash goes on the right horses.

Yesterday, they added a new total, net total of all deposits and withdrawals.

I looked at it at first with horror, gosh have I spent that much?

Hang on though as said at the beginning I've been doing online betting for over 10 years, so if during that time I had saved the cash instead I could possibly have bought a very small very second hand car, what a fool I've been!

Well, no, instead of the car I have had many hours of enjoyment looking at the horses and deciding what to back, many more hours of enjoyment watching the races often in the company of fellow punters which leads to even more hours of enjoyment talking to these punters about a sport we love.
So Nanny, if you are listening, get off my back and stick your gambling aware busybody nose into someone else's business leave me to enjoy a good value punt without Making it seem like it's a sinful pleasure.

There is just one thing though, now I know how much the bookies have taken from me, I'm going to be even more astute with my betting and see if I can win it all back, thanks for the encouragement, Nanny.

[DaveinGermany]

Must admit I very seldom bet on anything to be honest, but for those who do, enjoy it & are sensible I really don't see an issue with it. Mind you the sort of things I'd want to bet on they don't really cover.


I would definitely of had a 5er on the Ginge & Whinges kids colour, but I would've lost it, Robinsons Golliwog colour with Gin-ger fuzzy hair was an out & out loser!

[Margaret Pilkington]

Way back in the dim and distant past my maternal grandmother used to sit and choose her horses….there was nothing scientific about it….she would bet on a grey horse whatever the odds…..would choose a horse because the third letter in its name was an R……she would bet on a horse because of the jockeys colours……and would never ever ever bet on a horse that was being ridden by Lester Piggott…..and she used to encourage me to have a flutter too.

She won as many times as she lost…..and she had a lot of enjoyment in listening to the races on the radio….this was funny to watch because she would jump up and down in the seat of her chair…..causing me much hilarity.

I had pairs of sandals, dresses and sweets bought out of her winnings.
So I loved her having a flutter.

These days the doom mongers are only too happy to remind us what is damaging about our pleasures.
They must be a sad and unhappy lot.

[Less]

Originally Posted by Less

Hang on though as said at the beginning I've been doing online betting for over 10 years, so if during that time I had saved the cash instead I could possibly have bought a very small very second hand car, what a fool I've been!

There is just one thing though, now I know how much the bookies have taken from me, I'm going to be even more astute with my betting and see if I can win it all back, thanks for the encouragement, Nanny.

Well, yesterday was a plus day with the winnings I made, I could get a replacement indicator bulb if that car ever needs one.

[Margaret Pilkington]

Oh and the social workers would have us believe that this adult allowing me the evils of gambling was damaging me for life.
No…it did me no harm at all…in fact it gave me a better grasp of mental arithmetic….I could work out how much of a profit I would get from my sixpence with odds of 20/1.
Did it turn me into a gambler….? No…of course it didn’t.
I might have a flutter on a sweepstake in the Grand National….but that is about it.

[cashman]

i aint backed a horse for about 45 years, cos i got stupid with it. and being wed i packed up.

[DaveinGermany]

Originally Posted by cashman

i aint backed a horse for about 45 years, cos i got stupid with it. and being wed i packed up.

Fully understand mate, can't go throwing good money away on the Nags down the Bookies when the Nag in the house is stopping your pocket money!