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Don't bet on the joys of pokies (2011)

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Re: Don't bet on the joys of pokies (2011)

#71

Post by Retric »

ryandrake wrote: post #68
mynameishere wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

just pushes it underground Why is this an argument? So push it underground. As a rule, old folks aren't going to take their pensions to Fast Freddy's strip club backroom poker nights. People think that because a law doesn't work 100 percent, it shouldn't exist.

What do you think gambling-addicted "old folks" who live in areas where gambling is illegal do today? They either hop a short flight to a place where it is legal OR head to Fast Freddy's. People absolutely do participate in illegal gambling when legal gambling is off the table, whether they are elderly or not.

Some is very different than every.

Banning subsidized travel to casino’s alone would go quite far. Similarly banning slot machines from having sound, flashing lights, animations etc would reduce though obviously not eliminate the draw.

Re: Don't bet on the joys of pokies (2011)

#72

Post by Ylpertnodi »

jdietrich wrote: post #55
Solvency wrote: post #17

what is it with Australians and having the cheesiest names for everything? pokies. electricians are sparkies. bikkie. spewie. budgie. brekky. it's like a bunch of babytalk only it's said by literally everyone.

Australian slang represents something important about Australian values - mateship, the Anzac spirit, a fair go. Aussies don't talk like poms, because they aren't like poms.

...or other English speakers.

Re: Don't bet on the joys of pokies (2011)

#74

Post by worik »

ElevenLathe wrote: post #53
andrewstuart wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Society pays a pretty high price for that casual fun for people like you. Maybe go see a movie instead.

Unfortunately, there's not a livable version of society where we "ban" gambling. Doing so just pushes it underground, and therefore inevitably into the hands of some kind of organized crime. I imagine the best compromise would be to create a state monopoly and make it easily (but not universally) available, while also trying to push some social stigma against it. Unfortunately for harmful vices like this, the anglosp…

> Unfortunately, there's not a livable version of society where we "ban" gambling

True

But we can regulate it

We can limit the damage

Re: Don't bet on the joys of pokies (2011)

#75

Post by klyrs »

mynameishere wrote: post #66
ElevenLathe wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unfortunately, there's not a livable version of society where we "ban" gambling. Doing so just pushes it underground, and therefore inevitably into the hands of some kind of organized crime. I imagine the best compromise would be to create a state monopoly and make it easily (but not universally) available, while also trying to push some social stigma against it. Unfortunately for harmful vices like this, the anglosp…

just pushes it underground Why is this an argument? So push it underground. As a rule, old folks aren't going to take their pensions to Fast Freddy's strip club backroom poker nights. People think that because a law doesn't work 100 percent, it shouldn't exist.

> As a rule, old folks aren't going to take their pensions to Fast Freddy's strip club backroom poker nights

Trivially so. People with gambling addictions don't wind up as old folks with pensions.

Re: Don't bet on the joys of pokies (2011)

#76

Post by fian »

smaudet wrote: post #21
Solvency wrote: post #17

what is it with Australians and having the cheesiest names for everything? pokies. electricians are sparkies. bikkie. spewie. budgie. brekky. it's like a bunch of babytalk only it's said by literally everyone.

I posit that its due to hardship - not to suggest all Australians are super hard off, but it is certainly true that acronyms/shortened words are more common in rural (think high intensity physical labor) or speed-sensitive contexts (think Wall Street, engineering jargon in a engineering context, such as software, or SMS text-messaging). Given their origins as a prison labor camp, coupled with a legitimately difficult…

Shorter words mean less time with your mouth open which means less chance for the flies to get in.

Re: Don't bet on the joys of pokies (2011)

#77

Post by relaxing »

Solvency wrote: post #17

what is it with Australians and having the cheesiest names for everything? pokies. electricians are sparkies. bikkie. spewie. budgie. brekky. it's like a bunch of babytalk only it's said by literally everyone.

Wait til you hear what the Germans call a cellphone.

Re: Don't bet on the joys of pokies (2011)

#80

Post by [deleted] »

klyrs wrote: post #75
mynameishere wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

just pushes it underground Why is this an argument? So push it underground. As a rule, old folks aren't going to take their pensions to Fast Freddy's strip club backroom poker nights. People think that because a law doesn't work 100 percent, it shouldn't exist.

> As a rule, old folks aren't going to take their pensions to Fast Freddy's strip club backroom poker nights Trivially so. People with gambling addictions don't wind up as old folks with pensions.

[deleted]
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