Once again the subject of online gambling is in the news. It seems that a troubled League star undergoing rehabilitation in Queensland checked out and flew to Sydney late last week. In a two hour online betting splurge he lost $ 75,000.
We have come a long way in this state since the only legal betting option was to go to a race meeting on race day and place cash bets with the bookmakers licensed to trade there. This unmet desire to place bets off course was illegally serviced by starting price bookmakers who held court each race day in the back bar of the local pub.
Eventually the state government tired of unsuccessful attempts to stamp out the SP bookie trade and decided to license the TAB. This created a new form of revenue by way of gambling taxes and popular TAB betting shops sprouted in most city suburbs. They were deplored by the anti gambling movement but the fact that they required cash to place a bet put a limit on losses.
Today, gambling has extended its reach in a vast number of ways. The TAB welcomes account betting and bookmakers compete with the TAB in the account betting field, and the Internet has opened up a new field of virtual casinos. We now have risk factors that some people think are becoming unacceptable.
The betting experience of this troubled League star disturbs many people. He was placing bets of $ 15,000 and $ 30,000 on horses and greyhounds and his losses would have been above $ 150,000 if TAB betting supervisors had not intervened and reduced acceptance by half. Algorithms are in place to sound the alarm when betting splurges indicate abnormal levels. Supervisors need to use their discretion when losses amount to dangerous depths, far outside the customers usual betting pattern.
Any restrictions to gambling bring accusations of a " Nanny state " mentality, but there are instances where we need to save troubled people - from themselves. It is not uncommon for those suffering personal trauma to be irrational . Sometimes this is combined with the excess use of alcohol and in such a state a bad betting spree can deliver absolute financial ruin.
There is also the problem of those in a disturbed state of mind disclosing their password which would allow another person to activate their betting account. Perhaps it is necessary for the betting agency to phone the account holder and require an authority check on the amount wagered ? This is a tactic used by the banks when an unusual credit card purchase raises a scrutineers suspicion - and it is very effective as reducing fraud.
It would be useful if an embargo could be enacted on account betting whenever a person is undergoing rehabilitation at a clinic or is under the direct control of a psychiatrist. That is a time when the risk factor is at its highest. It would probably be an automatic obligation required at the time of accepting the patient for treatment.
Gamblers know that the odds are not in their favour. At least being of sound mind should be a requirement of undertaking that risk !
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