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Player Profile August 15th
Meet Jeremy, this guy is in need of help, I spent an hour chatting and observing his game play and from what I saw this is the less glamorous side of Fixed Odds Betting Terminals.
Jeremy is 21 his game plan is simple, he plays recklessly.
He tells me he has �300 to "invest" today and inserts �60 in the cyberview machine, he scatters 40x�1 chips across the layout, betting high numbers as his first bet, which costs �40, the wheel spins and in pops number 7
an immediate loss of �40, he inserts another �20 and repeats the bet, this time number 16 appears, not a good start, he is down �80 in just over a minute.
He inserts another �40 this time betting black numbers, and wagering the entire �40 alas in pops 34 (red), he remarks he should have left his high number bet on and gives the machine a smack!
Another �40 is inserted, at this point a man playing next to him, hits number 3 which this player has a �5 bet on, which takes his balance upto �448 as he appears to be having more luck than Jeremy, this seems to irritate Jeremy and he scatters his chips randomly around the board, the wheel spins again, this time in pops zero (which Jeremy didnt have covered),
Now down �160, Jeremy lights a cigarette and inserts another �40, he decides to play �5 chips and places 8x�5 chips on number 1-8, he pauses then hits the spin button in pops number 28.
�200 down he gives the machine a really hard thump, people in the shop look over and Jeremy begins to shout quite loudly that the machine is rigged, it doesnt help that the guy playing the next machine is now showing a balance of �640
This time Jeremy inserts �100 into the machine and wildly scatters �1 chips across the entire board, every number is covered in one way or another,he spins and in pops number 9, he checks his bets and alas he only has a �1 split bet on number 9, resulting in a win of �18, BANG another blow is rained down on the machine, he now bets the entire �18 on the top third numbers (25-36) spins the wheel,
and in pops number 24, bedlam breaks out, a punch followed by a couple of kicks to the machine and Jeremy leaves the shop, �300 down.
Five minutes later he reappears, with �500 in crisp �20 notes, aquired from an ATM machine opposite the shop. He tells me he is determined to recoup his losses with this money, (you should never chase your losses I tell him, but he simply smiles).
This time he inserts �100 and places it on high numbers, in pops number 2, he inserts another �100 and repeats the bet, in pops number 14, he is now like a man possessed and smacks the machine yet again, the staff in the shop ignore this, he inserts another �100 repeats the bet a second time and in pops number 9 he is now down a total of �600 and not a happy bunny, he moves over to another machine and inserts �100 and bets �10 on numbers 7, 19,21, 22,23, 26,28,29,36, and 0 (just in case he mutters), the wheel is set in motion and in pops number 12.
Another cigarette is lit and he stops and stares at the machine he is now down �700 and visibly distraught, he confides in me he has only �100 left for the Week, at this point I tell him maybe now would be a good time to stop playing as it appears its not entertainment any more but an obsession, nope he says and inserts the last 5 �20 notes into the machine, he asks me to pick some numbers, I say the best bet is press the collect button, he ignores this and bets �100 on black, he presses the start button closes his eyes and in pops number 27. �800 all gone.
He doesnt speak, looks around, and surprisingly takes a leaflet from the display stand next to the machine, the leaflet is about problem gambling, he turns to me and says some you win then leaves.
Lets hope he seeks help
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