Nathan Hindmarsh reveals $200,000 poker machine addiction

[mickdo]

There is a huge difference between the type of gambling the NRL (as an organisation, not the clubs themselves) promotes and Pokies. The NRL generally promotes TAB-style sports gambling. Sports gambling is generally considered nowhere near as addictive (and there can be a skill factor to it), Pokies are machines which have a built in house edge, and some suggest that playing them puts players into something of a trance.

For sports betting there's also a much longer time between bet to payoff (or with pokies, mostly loss), so it just isn't the same kind of 'thrill' as pokies

 

[Eels Dude]

I've never been into gambling myself, but I've got mates I often go to pubs with who are obsessed with the things. After a few beers they'll sit down then they'll put 50 in... then once that's gone another 50, then another, then another, then they might get a win and get all excited, but then lose it all and keep putting in 50s after 50s and all of a sudden after an hour they are down several hundred bucks.

At least with other forms of gambling like horse racing or blackjack etc, there's some sort of knowledge and skill required to be successful so the thrill of winning actually means something apart from the monetary gain. With poker machines there's no skill involved apart from the random chance of picking the right machine at the right time.

 

[E_Cantona]

Working in the gaming industry, i also agree there should be Pokie reforms. The problem is finding the best solution to identify, restrict and help problem gamblers, and on the flip side not restrict non-problem gamblers from playing within there means.

Some people dont see the point of gambling..fair enough, everyone has there own sources of entertainment. While i avoid pokies, i enjoy table games, poker and betting on sports. When you know your limits and bet accordingly you can have a great time.

With Pokies, i believe there has to be some sort of gambling card system to restrict the total spend for an individual player. Some people just cannot control what they do.

 

[SDM]

I hope he plays pokies at Parra Leagues so he can pay back some of the top dollar he has copped the last few years while being a liability in attack.

 

[Utey]

Lol.