Just typical of todays world

[barryb 2,064]

Seriously take some personal farking responsibility.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/92481581/problem-gambler-seeks-compensation-from-tab

Are we all farking sick of people looking to blame someone else for their failings?.

[weasel57 429]

The man's family was frustrated with what they saw as a lack of accountability from the NZRB. 

"He is in a lot debt to friends, family, banks and loan sharks and left to deal with the whole thing when it was an error made by the TAB. If they are promoting controlled gambling what 28 year old can afford to splash more than $200,000 in a month?" his brother said.

CRAZY THAT HIS BROTHER IS NOT FRUSTRATED WITH A LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY BY ..HIS BROTHER.!!

[Midget 4,489]

Complex subject though, particularly with the infestation of TABs with pokies, and they're only there to exploit vulnerable people despite the assertions to the contrary.

 

[von Smallhaussen 3,226]

If the TAB want to promote responsible gambling - then why do they often refuse to payout in cash but give a betting voucher? 

[Trump 2,741]

I was in a Supermarket queue one day and an 80yo (approx) lady in front of me had a discount loaf of bread and a couple of other items and I could hear her saying to the checkout how life was tough and that she hadn't eaten fish or meat for months etc. I felt guilty so followed her out and offered to help her to her $1 Taxi ride. Started chatting and ended up giving her a lift home (not far). Got her to her house and noticed her little bungalow had leaking (read holes in gutters etc) spouting and I asked her if she had any family. To cut a long story short, she lived alone and had no family close. She was living on a pension, had no savings so couldn't afford repairs etc. After an hour chatting she revealed shed lost all her $ on the pokies and had borrowed $10,000 from a 4th tier lender (you know, the ones that have a real interest rate of 500%) and much of her pension was going to pay "interest only" on the loan. I got her to sign a letter appointing me her Spokesman and went to the Loan Shark, who at first told me to "Fornicate off". Keeping my cool, I quietly told the shark that my next visit was to the local newspaper, TV3, local radio station and anyone else I could expose this shark to. He agreed to disolve the loan and apply all her interest payments to principal and we did a deal whereby I closed out the loan. This all started from her addiction to Pokies. Don't talk to me about pokies please. They are the scourge of every small town community and create misery for all those who can least afford to play them. That's what I call "problem" gambling at its worst (or should that be best?).

[zelda kratchanova 2 501]

A pox on pokers machines ,n0?

[Ohokaman 5,821]

10 minutes ago, Trump said:

I was in a Supermarket queue one day and an 80yo (approx) lady in front of me had a discount loaf of bread and a couple of other items and I could hear her saying to the checkout how life was tough and that she hadn't eaten fish or meat for months etc. I felt guilty so followed her out and offered to help her to her $1 Taxi ride. Started chatting and ended up giving her a lift home (not far). Got her to her house and noticed her little bungalow had leaking (read holes in gutters etc) spouting and I asked her if she had any family. To cut a long story short, she lived alone and had no family close. She was living on a pension, had no savings so couldn't afford repairs etc. After an hour chatting she revealed shed lost all her $ on the pokies and had borrowed $10,000 from a 4th tier lender (you know, the ones that have a real interest rate of 500%) and much of her pension was going to pay "interest only" on the loan. I got her to sign a letter appointing me her Spokesman and went to the Loan Shark, who at first told me to "Fornicate off". Keeping my cool, I quietly told the shark that my next visit was to the local newspaper, TV3, local radio station and anyone else I could expose this shark to. He agreed to disolve the loan and apply all her interest payments to principal and we did a deal whereby I closed out the loan. This all started from her addiction to Pokies. Don't talk to me about pokies please. They are the scourge of every small town community and create misery for all those who can least afford to play them. That's what I call "problem" gambling at its worst (or should that be best?).

Nice one Trumpy....

[puha 2,177]

Does a Bottle store refuse to sell alcohol to an alcoholic ? Does a supermarket stop selling sugar filled products to fat people? Does a whore house stop supplying woman to a sex addict ? No they don't everybody has weaknesses so stop blaming everyone else dropkick take some personal responsibility. Will auction houses stop me buying horses no it's my choice so instead of having a mansion at the beach I have a paddock of dreams my choice end of story. 

[crustyngrizzly 1,700]

Political Correctness gone wrong.

Then again we have just hosted some sports where a lady competed in 3 events against herself and was awarded 3 Gold medals.

She got more media coverage on mainsream tv than racing has had in 10 years.

What a f......d up world we live in.

[Midget 4,489]

If a bottle store sold alcohol to an intoxicated person they'd lose their licence.

Using your logic Puha every vulnerable person should be exploited, where does it end mate ?, sexually violating young homeless kids, exploiting the intellectually handicapped or the aged and informed ?

The measure of a civilized society is how you protect the interests of and provide for your "weakest" members, not how cynically you can exploit their vulnerabilities and weaknesses.....have you no sense of decency or are you just another Australian ?

[Catalano 951]

My wife used to work for Lotto and has plenty of similar stories - and yet that's available at the supermarket while the kids hold the shopping!

Bit of a double standard I feel... 

[Trump 2,741]

You have a problem Puhason.

[puha 2,177]

4 hours ago, Midget said:

If a bottle store sold alcohol to an intoxicated person they'd lose their licence.

Using your logic Puha every vulnerable person should be exploited, where does it end mate ?, sexually violating young homeless kids, exploiting the intellectually handicapped or the aged and informed ?

The measure of a civilized society is how you protect the interests of and provide for your "weakest" members, not how cynically you can exploit their vulnerabilities and weaknesses.....have you no sense of decency or are you just another Australian ?

You voting Labour or greens this year?  Plus I don't trust the media and I one eyed views we are subjected too.

[puha 2,177]

3 hours ago, Trump said:

You have a problem Puhason.

Yeah your right and it's the bullshit the media keep feeding us . 

[Midget 4,489]

1 hour ago, puha said:

You voting Labour or greens this year?  Plus I don't trust the media and I one eyed views we are subjected too.

Mate I'm no leftie, but I'm an Irish Catholic with a social conscience and I despise the exploitation of vulnerable people, or the neglect of those in need.

Life is not a level playing field in case you hadn't noticed and whilst the majority of us are lucky in life that doesn't discharge you from your moral responsibilities, unless of course you're a nihilist, in which case you should shift to Petone.

[puha 2,177]

Dont disagree that many people need a helping hand at various stages of life but when you purposely try and flaunt the system and it backfires dont expect any sympathy and start pointing the finger at everyone but yourself. 

[chevy86 2,697]

1 hour ago, Midget said:

Mate I'm no leftie, but I'm an Irish Catholic with a social conscience and I despise the exploitation of vulnerable people, or the neglect of those in need.

Life is not a level playing field in case you hadn't noticed and whilst the majority of us are lucky in life that doesn't discharge you from your moral responsibilities, unless of course you're a nihilist, in which case you should shift to Petone.

So I guess your Catholicism excuses these people that show up on TV surrounded by 8-9 snot-gobblers Midget complaining about living in cars or garages when it is their rampant rooting that causes the basic problem in their miserable lives. There will always be genuine cases where our humanity kicks in, but Michael Laws had the answer--offer these bloody sperm receptacles $5K to get their tubes tied after 2 kids. I'd offer them $50K to make sure society does not have to deal with the detritus they produce.

P.S. I am a very charitable person with a social conscience but life is about carrot and stick--all carrot these days, no bloody stick. Had it in my own extended family so know what I am talking about. And BTW, I concur that pokies are a scourge in society.

[bestbets 206]

19 hours ago, Catalano said:

My wife used to work for Lotto and has plenty of similar stories - and yet that's available at the supermarket while the kids hold the shopping!

Bit of a double standard I feel... 

Very right you are, why is it when someone that finds their way to the media when they hit rock bottom always seems to blame TAB, Pokies and Casino and never do I see Lotto or those scratchy tickets ever get a mention about problem gambling. 

[Midget 4,489]

16 hours ago, chevy86 said:

So I guess your Catholicism excuses these people that show up on TV surrounded by 8-9 snot-gobblers Midget complaining about living in cars or garages when it is their rampant rooting that causes the basic problem in their miserable lives. There will always be genuine cases where our humanity kicks in, but Michael Laws had the answer--offer these bloody sperm receptacles $5K to get their tubes tied after 2 kids. I'd offer them $50K to make sure society does not have to deal with the detritus they produce.

P.S. I am a very charitable person with a social conscience but life is about carrot and stick--all carrot these days, no bloody stick. Had it in my own extended family so know what I am talking about. And BTW, I concur that pokies are a scourge in society.

Should we make rooting illegal then ?

Or just rampant rooting ?(anything to stop those brain dead fucking Royals rooting will get my support, they're a pox on society ).

Maybe we should tax it, that kills most things.

Would you tax it by the inch, ounce, or how long you use the technique for ? Who would monitor it, maybe a camera in every bedroom (I'd be available to watch what's going on).

Maybe you have to be a certain IQ before you can drop your trousers, then I'd get all the girls, or be really rich, then I'd get none of them.

Would you make masturbating compulsory to take the pressure off the problem, that'd at least allow Petone to join in.

So many hard questions, but such an interesting subject.

[jess 1,244]

Nice one Trump.

As far as the general topic - whether sex, gambling & other pastimes - I've never been certain where a lack of will power and self discipline ends and addiction begins ...

Much as I remain unsure if ODD  (Oppositional Defiance Disorder) in children is a valid medical diagnosis - and here's another one I heard of for kids recently - DBD (Disruptive Behavior DIsorder).  Where does poor parenting and a lack of discipline end and these labels kick in ....

Of course addiction is a real phenomenon at some levels.  But I feel uncomfortable that society currently seems very keen to medicalise and find labels for everything - and anything that goes wrong must be someone's or something's (preferably a government dept) fault - the last port of call in any of it appears to be personal responsibility on the part of the central participants ...

 

[barryb 2,064]

7 minutes ago, jess said:

.

Of course addiction is a real phenomenon at some levels.  But I feel uncomfortable that society currently seems very keen to medicalise and find labels for everything - and anything that goes wrong must be someone's or something's (preferably a government dept) fault - the last port of call in any of it appears to be personal responsibility on the part of the central participants ...

 

Bang on Jess, its always someone else's fault, its desolves the person of responsibility. Very similar to people who commit serious crimes who always seem to have a problem upbringing. That may well be the case, but with any addiction, criminal activity, there are victims who never chose to be in that situation.   

[6xes 699]

This might seem a heartless comment,

But the Loan Sharks were a means to end...  sometimes people need a wake-up call, in order for them to understand the trouble ahead

glad though our goodman Trump removed the chains, it is a good lesson for those of us who have been in similar situations

[Trump 2,741]

There's a bit of truth in most of the views re this thread. Generalisation is dangerous IMO. However, it a well researched fact that the Pokies are mostly played by lower socio-economic groups and retirees. The wealthy or middle/Upper Middle class are not your typical pokies player. They tend to go to the races. I would bet if u went to the Salvos and looked at the demographics of the people they help, next to none would be from Remuera, Herne Bay or Parnell. No, the Pokies are the scourge of the needy. As my friend who once was Gen Manager of JUPITERS on the Gold Coast once told me, "in the end we get the lot!". The elderly woman in my story was living alone, owned a little cottage, was on a pension as her sole means of income. She played pokies at her local RSL club. She was out of money, had bils to pay (electricity, rates etc) and no family to help. Desperate, she went to a loan shark who loaned her $10k and used her home as security. A desperate case, going nowhere. By the way, who do you think makes the most money from Pokies? In Australia it's govts.

 

[barryb 2,064]

Trumpy, I don't disagree with you that Pokies are a scourge on society, however you could label fast food, cigarettes, alcohol, bottled water (haha) etc in the same category.

Now this is generalising, unfortunately removing Pokies would change nothing, in many instances those same people would find many other ways to blow that money for about the same return or worse than they get from Pokies. Its a long term fix, but we need to do a shit load more in educating kids from 5yrs how to effectively use their money & showing them that every choice you make with money has a consequence whether good or bad. Teaching kids about self-control and delayed gratification is even more crucial in an instant world.