So here's an interesting article on a very serious issue regarding football, its ever increasing entanglement with sports betting, and the consequences for football fans especially in the UK.

Excerpt:

The relentless involvement of betting companies in football has drawn a generation of young men into strongly associating their support for the game with gambling, leading to “dire consequences” for many, a study has found.
The explosion in marketing and sponsorship since the last Labour government deregulated gambling in 2005, combined with the ease of online betting via smartphones, has resulted in the “gamblification” of watching football, according to research conducted by Dr Darragh McGee of the University of Bath.
[..]
His findings, shared exclusively with the Guardian, include some of the young men telling him they can no longer watch a football match unless they have multiple bets; commonly they have up to 25 accounts with online gambling companies, and their football conversations with mates are all about betting, rather than the game.
[..]

One [..] participant, a 31-year-old father of two in Derry, ultimately disclosed to McGee he had turned to drug dealing for a period to try to recoup money saved for a family holiday, which he had lost gambling.

The participant told McGee he had 40 accounts with online betting companies and cannot watch matches, except the odd Premier League game, without betting. This includes in-play bets on the number of corners, throw-ins or yellow cards. He said he was “in debt to my eyeballs” on high-interest payday loans taken out to cover gambling losses, and his credit was “blacklisted to the max”.

He said that gambling “took over my life for a while” and he has deep regrets about having neglected his baby daughter, because he would “sit on the laptop, continuous gambling for the day” when looking after her. He told McGee he had lost two friends to suicide, one directly attributed to gambling debts. Derry, like other areas of Northern Ireland, has some of the highest suicide rates in Britain.
[..]
A total of £14.4bn was lost by people betting in the UK from April 2017 to March 2018, according to figures produced by the Gambling Commission, an increase from £13.8bn the previous year. Of that total, £5.3bn was lost gambling online, a 12.8% increase on the previous year.
[..]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/jan/10/football-gambling-dire-consequences-young-men-bet-new-study

@RealGunner wasn't aware it was that bad

Or you could do like Harmonica and always bet in favor of Madrid and win every time. Rumor has it, he has 10 houses and 3 yachts from blindly gambling on Refdrid.

On a serious note though:

helpguide wrote:Gambling addiction—also known as—pathological gambling, compulsive gambling or gambling disorder—is an impulse-control disorder. If you’re a compulsive gambler, you can’t control the impulse to gamble, even when it has negative consequences for you or your loved ones. You’ll gamble whether you’re up or down, broke or flush, and you’ll keep gambling regardless of the consequences—even when you know that the odds are against you or you can’t afford to lose.

It's a serious problem and it can have extremely devastating effects on you and your life. And just like any other addiction, it is absolutely crucial to acknowledge that you're addicted and that you need help and most importantly that you seek help before it's too late.

Agreed about the compulsive disease. Same as people who can't have a fun evening without a drink etc. When you lose enjoyment and still do it because "it would feel incomplete without..." it's the sign that you need help.

Must be a pain to live when someone's financial faith depends on the result of football games.

I guess given the different societal issues I probably face compared to a 27 year old male in Derry, I wouldn't understand his issues but I would like to think he can do way better than constantly betting, losing and putting himself in more debt than he could possibly manage.

Honestly glad I never picked up that habit even if I could do with that extra coin now and then.

The number of gambling adverts on TV in this country is disgusting. For a non-gambler like myself they're irritating to sit through, and I can't imagine what it must be like for people with a gambling addiction.

The crux of the issue is that this advertising is as powerful as it is frequent. Gambling ads can be broadly placed into two categories: those that play on the "lad" culture surrounding football (there is literally a betting company called Ladbrokes) and those that present gambling as an intelligent, classy thing to do (Bet365, Smart Odds). The former appeals to the type of fan who enjoys a bit of banter putting a bet with their mates, or doing a "cheeky acca". The latter targets the fans who think they're knowledgeable about the sport. The gambling companies have done some very smart and targeted marketing.

You have to watch Sky Sports and BT Sports frequently to truly appreciate how many betting ads there are. You'll see at least two during the number commercial breaks. You'll see one right before kick-off (Sky cut away to the ad, while BT have this intrusive cut-in) and one right before the second half kicks off. Half-time ad breaks will give you the latest odds on the match. If that's not enough, you'll betting ads roll across the advertising boards in game as well. It's literally everywhere.

The concerning thing (apart from the obvious devastating consequences gambling addiction can have) is reading accounts of people who can't enjoy football anymore without a bet riding on the match. Gambling has always been closely tied with sports, but this relationship has become so normal now that it's almost impossible to separate the two. If you're growing up with the sport now, you'll be very familiar with the SkyBet Football League and the numerous teams in the UK sponsored by betting companies. When I was a kid watching football, I couldn't name you more than one betting company. I don't even gamble, yet I could name you several betting companies now due to sheer exposure alone.

I've no issue with gambling as an activity, so long as everyone understands what they stand to lose and have control over it. But I do feel there has to be greater restrictions put into place to make it less prevalent in sport. They're supposed to be cutting on the number of ads during games, which is a start.

I don't watch UK tv but I guess the situation is similar. In Italy the gambling advertisements are insane. It's all the time before, during and after game. There is so much of it, it needs to be regulated.

In Spain it is less so, a bit better.

Even if I like to place small bets once or twice a month, the level of advertisement is just wrong.

The Demon of Carthage wrote:Or you could do like Harmonica and always bet in favor of Madrid and win every time. Rumor has it, he has 10 houses and 3 yachts from blindly gambling on Refdrid.

Him saying that on the Internet makes me believe he most likely lives in a trailer with a dog that licks peanut butter off his balls