Getting more bang for your buck
Does gambling really deserve its bad reputation? Becky Mitchell looks at both sides of the coin in this growing phenomenon
Poker, blackjack, roulette, you name it, gambling has made a pretty impressive comeback. Forget the bright lights of distant Las Vegas; with the rise of the Internet, gambling has now moved into the closer confines of the home and more worryingly into the bedrooms of a growing number of students. Today it seems that gambling is separating itself from the rather mundane National Lottery, and into the somewhat more glamourous, yet more risky, arenas of poker and the virtual casino.
Over the last few years, there has been a massive boom in Internet gambling, often with thousands of people across the world playing at any one time. While ten years ago, poker was a game only a talented few could play, restricted to seedy, underground, smoky bars, the Internet has made gambling accessible and now anyone and everyone can become involved, thus increasing the risk to those susceptible to loss and addiction.
Recently concerns have been voiced over the growing number of students in the North-East of England who regularly use gambling as a way to pay off their debts. Surveys suggest that the majority of people in the UK gamble at one time or another in their lives, yet the group most vulnerable to developing a gambling problem is 16-24 year old males, with four per cent of those who have gambled in the last year developing a problem. It seems students with time on their hands and a student loan in the bank have become the target audience of websites such as the well known, www.poker.com
The interest in gambling has reawakened a general interest in games like poker, which is traditionally seen as a game of skill rather than luck. In fact, York University even boasts a Poker Soc, who recently signed up a staggering number of new members at Freshers Fair. However, due to university regulations, the society cannot play with ‘real’ money and instead use chips but no cash.
Paul Colley, who founded the society with two friends, says: “The Internet is obviously crucial. It’s encouraged gambling in a massive way and revolutionised the way that poker’s played”.
A former York student, who has recently graduated and has first hand experience of gambling websites, says: “The Internet has caused a colossal explosion in games like poker and blackjack. It’s really clever because you can start by playing with ‘play money’ so you don’t lose anything and then once you’re good you can start playing with real money, which is when it starts to get more serious, as you can then lose. The other day I was really bored and found myself opening an account on the National Lottery website and depositing £10. I lost £7!”
Clearly Poker (as well as other forms of gambling) does have a reputation as a vice, and whilst a quick flutter once in a while can be fun, the potential for it to become habitual and transform into an addiction is huge.
Indeed, the rise of gambling has become such a problem for some students that there are now a multitude of websites specifically dealing with those students addicted to gambling. The website Merlin Helps Students (www.merlinhelpsstudents.com) is just one of these, which now has to add gambling onto the list of potential student problems alongside the usual areas of dugs, eating disorders and contraception.
Gamblers Anonymous now feature one 19 year old student, ‘Rick’, who lost £200 in 24 hours.
He says, “Even if I run out of cash, I’ll just go straight to the cash machine. I got myself in a lot of debt last year (nearly £2000 on top of my student loan). I didn’t gamble at all over the 4 month summer period, but since coming back to University I’ve started again.”
“I joined an online poker site last year, and just gambled ‘play’ money, but last time was the first time I’ve played with ‘real’ money. In the last 24 hours I’ve lost £200. I started with £5, but I couldn’t stop”.
Another 21 year old student featured on ‘Share your story’ at Gamblers Anonymous, has lost his entire student loan, a staggering £1000 pounds, on internet gambling sites, leading to his parents disowning him. His story and others like them reflect the new, potentially highly dangerous gambling problem, which the Internet has unleashed.
Yet it doesn’t necessarily have to be a purely negative phenomenon. Recently, poker has enjoyed rising popularity among students as an alterative way to while away the evenings. As Richie Jefferson, a former York student, says: “It’s really sociable. You get a group together, bring along a few beers and play poker. Then everyone chips in a fiver and it works out cheaper than a night out!”
“Then there’s always the chance that you might win, and if there’s ten of you playing that’s £50. If you lose then you only lose £5 so it’s a fun, cheap and sociable way to spend an evening with your mates”.
Paul Colley, founder of Poker Soc, believes the attraction of poker is multi-dimensional. He says: “It’s the chance to win a lot of cash with a massive adrenaline rush and a lot of suspense involved in the process. At the moment it’s just cool to play poker. Everyone wants to organise poker nights at the moment. Because it’s gambling, it does have an undeserved reputation, but you hear stories of big losses on the horses or any other sort of betting, not just with poker.”
Given the relatively new rise of this phenomenon it is difficult to tell how many students actually gamble regularly and, more importantly, how much they stand to lose.
“It’s hard to give exact figures, but there’s definitely a poker fad happening in a big way at the moment. I think if you raided the Halifax college kitchens on a weekday night you’d find a startling number of poker games underway!”
Despite the importance of the internet, Paul believes that it cannot replicate the atmosphere created by face to face games. “I think part of the attraction of our society to poker is that you can actually play against real people and see their faces. On the net you can’t read a player as effectively and there’s a general consensus that poker’s cool but Internet poker’s pretty geeky.”
In fact, gambling has proved rather a successful venture for some students who happen to strike it lucky. One student who wishes to remain nameless, won a staggering £500 through internet gambling.
He says: “I didn’t even have to put any money down. I was offered a free entry ticket onto a poker website and took it up and won £20. They then offered me free entry into a tournament and I won again which warranted me another free entry, where I won again…In total I won £500 without even spending a penny. It was fantastic! I used it to pay off part of my loan.”
Yet whilst some can stop when the going is good, many can’t. As many who have been addicted to gambling in the past will testify, it is the continual drive to win again to get the addictive buzz that keeps people playing, despite the fear that they could lose it all.
Paul says: “I know a few people who’ve had big wins, but invariably they feed it all back in and get back to broke. And that’s because it’s fun, it’s just another pastime that you’ve got to spend money on if you want to pursue. If you look at it like that and stay pretty sensible with your money, you can’t go wrong, but of course the temptations are always there!”
So whilst gambling can be harmless fun, it’s always up to the player to decide to call it a day and walk away, hopefully with their winnings in tact rather than nursing a hefty blow to the wallet. A wise old friend once said, “only bet what you can afford to lose” and if you can’t afford to lose anything, then it’s probably a safer bet and just as fun to risk it with ‘play’ money.
The Grandparents guide to gambling
Bingo
Bingo has enjoyed somewhat of a makeover of late. Whilst previously it was more synonymous with your grandma than saturday night TV, Mecca Bingo has revolutionised all this. Dig out those patent white heels and your trusty biro and get ready to scream euphorically when the caller shouts “88, two fat ladies”. But seriously, you can stand to win £20,000 at Bingo, which is definitely worth loosing your dignity for.
The Bookies
Traditionally the bookies invoke images of dirty old men in anoraks, engrossed in the Racing Post, and listening to a crackly wireless. But after the success of Royal Ascot in York, we all seem a bit more open minded about betting on the horses, the dogs, or the possibility of Chico winning the X Factor. As your Grandfather will tell you, it’s all about working the odds and never risking more than a fiver.
If you are interested in joining Poker Society contact Paul Colley on pc144@york.ac.uk
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