Moved to Website

I have moved to a website. The design is not as I intended but I will refine it as I go along. Learning HTML had been fun so far. I just need to take this one step at a time. Allocating time to learn and writing can make me scream out loud sometimes. I guess, it should not be a problem once I get a hang of HTML.

Here is my usual blog but it is on my on my new website this time. It is entitled "Nations Bow to Gambling" or "Bow2gambling". It is my comments on the the new casino in Crypus.

Moving on to a Website

I am thinking of moving on to a website. Blogging on google is about the same as learning MS Word where the learning curve is not too steep. I had been trying to learn html by switching from text mode to html mode while writing my blog but that won’t do. I need switch to a webpage to force myself to learn more html skills and be able to design a webpage.

Website Content

I am not an expert in gambling and most certainly do not have the ability to come up with an impressive multipage website on gambling. I came to the gambling circle here on google because I intend to do my post graduate studies on problematic gambling behavior, so my content will remain the same. It may seem a bit weird but I will be blogging on a webpage.

Studying problematic gambler is challenge to me because this group feels nobody can understand them unless they are gamblers themselves. Counselors, who are not gamblers, will never provide effective help. I will endeavor to put some framework as a starting point to understand these people because they have the potential to chalk up very costly damages and in the process mess up the lives of their loves ones.

Content Scarcity

I guess the need to move on had something to with the difficulty to find materials on problematic gambling behavior. It had to be confined to reported cases in most situations. With the news on gambling toning down, I get to feel a sense of idleness and that urges me to upgrade my skills. If I run into another material scarcity period again, I would most likely find a new topic. Write about girlie stuff like beauty tips or love and romance. Well, that is another story.

Gambling Addiction Crime

An operation specialist of Barclays Bank stole £127,471 from customer accounts since January 1, 2010, the Birmingham Crown Court heard. Julia Finney, 29, pleaded guilty to stealing the cash over a three-year period on July 4, 2013 the Birmingham Mail reports.

Finney was accused of fabricating nearly 200 separate transactions from customer accounts. The fraudulent transfers were fictitious amounts using ‘sundries accounts’ at the bank which Finney credits into her sole and joint accounts. A routine audit by the bank managed to pick up Finney's fraud which committed at the Barclay Bank, Colmore Row, Birmingham. Alan White, spokesman for Barclays Bank, said: "Whilst rare, staff fraud simply isn’t tolerated. We work with the relevant authorities to ensure matters such as this are dealt with in the appropriate way."

It was learned that most of the stolen cash was used to feed short-term payday loans to pay off her gambling debts that she had built up. As an operation specialist, Finney should know the consequences of taking a loan form payday loan companies. The desperation to get easy and fast loan approval offered by these firms must be the main attraction for her. She just wanted money fast to feed her addiction. The consequences never did come to mind. It is still beyond my comprehension that experts of money could lose their rationality where gambling is concern.

Crackdown on Under-age Gambling

Half the gambling premises in Milton Keynes had failed to prevent the under-aged from entering the premises. Karen Ford, Head of the Council's Regulatory Unit, worked with the Gaming Commission and several 16 year old volunteers in a recent crackdown on 10 premises. It would not come as a surprised that if under-aged could get in without identification check, they would also be allowed to place bets. Three of these premises were found to guilty in this aspect as they allowed the volunteers to place bets.

In view of the anticipated opening of the new Aspers Casino in Milton Keynes later this year, the blitz was done to check that controls were carried out to prevent under-ages from having access to gambling facilities. Ms Ford said: "This was a disappointing result for the businesses involved but they have all made a commitment to improve staff training and to implement measures such as self-testing and the sharing of good practice. We will continue to monitor these and others to ensure the safety of children and young persons in Milton Keynes."

Most staff is indifferent when they see the under-aged enter the premises. With gambling facilities being easily available in the UK, sooner or later a person would have got involved in gambling. This attitude is the main cause for such lose control. To prevent further disappointment, Ms Ford need to constantly run check and blitz to toe the line or control will continue to slack. Slapping heavy fines on the operators will ensure they trained their staff accordingly.

Gambling Violence

SavySeph's manga referred to a case in Scotland where a man was given life sentence for causing violence in a betting shop. After losing £200 Mark Rutter, 40 smashed up a few machines and attacked two bookie shop's staff demanding to get back his money. He punched one man and injured the other with a pair of scissors then fled after taking £200 from the till in a William Hill's shop.

Rutter's case was seen as an angry punter losing control and resorted to violence. In another reported case of enraged punter using violence, David Brogan smashed up 4 machines with a hammer after losing £700 in a William Hill shop which I cover in my blog Beserk Addiction. Since nobody was hurt, Borgan got off the hook by paying compensation for the machine which he destroyed. In comparison Borgan's case differs significantly with Rutter.

• Borgan was a first time offender while Rutter had criminal history of criminal violence,
• There was no life threatening situation Borgan's case,
• Borgan destroyed property but hurt nobody,
• Rutter threaten staff and took money from the till.

Rutter case was deemed as robbery and thus had his previous offenses stacked against him. Jim Keegan QC, Rutter's defense, claimed that the gaming machines had sparked violence throughout Britain. He pointed out that many incidents were unreported because it would jeopardize the shop's business operations and admitted: "I don't say that excuses the level of violence which was used after the accused went across the counter and attacked the two men. But the machine was the catalyst". Keegan QC is trying to associate Rutters case to that of angry punters to divert it from being deemed as armed robbery resulting in life threatening injury but Judge Lord Uist was not convinced.

Looking at the merit of both cases they do not qualify as precedence. If Britain is serious about curbing the violence in Fixed Odds Betting Terminal (FBOT) premises that the former Treasury Minister fear will spill over to the High Streets, then cases similar to Beserk Addiction should be given a steep punishment to act as a deterrent.

Gunshot at Casino

A 23 year old Milwaukee woman was shot in the leg after a fight broke out at Potawatomi Casino, Menomonee Valley, Milwaukee on June 16 2013. A 27 year old Wauwatosa man was arrested at the scene. The suspect had a history of bad criminal records, the 620WTMJ (Wisconsin's Radio News) reported.

Gabriella, an eyewitness to the incident, had expressed her fears and dissatisfaction over the way the matter was handled. Security is clearly lacking in this casino. The gun should not even be in the casino in the first place. The metal detectors will buzz like crazy when you try to pass a gun through it. For it to go unnoticed the safety crew must be sleeping on the job or could not care less. No matter how they beef up security it will happen again because of this apathetic attitude. Ironically, incidents such as these will not deter Gabriella or other hard core gamblers from revisiting the premises.

Add Betting Shops to Pubs

In a move to revitalize high streets pubs are allowed to set up betting shops, the the UK Daily Mail reported on 29 May 2013. The ruling come into force on the date of publication. Again tax revenue from gambling is seen as a solution to boost the economy (see SavySeph's Blog for a similar line of argument). While policy makers use fear of Britain’s high streets turning into ghost towns to justify themselves, critics expressed their concern about high street being ‘overrun’ with bookmakers and payday lenders. Progress at the expense of social ills is the central theme for debate.

As long as gambling is present the complimentary industries will also mushroom along with it. A related article reported that payday lenders are experts when it comes to preying on minors because they are easier targets. Instead of churning out prosperity, it will only create more ghettos. A Labour source added: ‘This would mirror the unfortunate system in Australia where betting shops are found in large bars. They are placed in a defined area within the pub where beer cannot be consumed but have led to real problems where people go out on a night out and end up blowing a lot of money on booze and gambling.’

This are the typical stigmatization attached to gamblers. They see all gamblers as irrational and consuming alcohol will add on to it. Casinos had been offering alcoholic beverages to patrons without much incidents. I don't see a difference as betting shops are not new to Britain. Surely there would be a pub in the vicinity of these betting shops. The greater concern should be on the payday lenders targeting minors.