I was just being a troll. Sort of. People are so willing to condemn others for their own gain.
I was just being a troll. Sort of. People are so willing to condemn others for their own gain.
Official Cartoonist for the Western Bulldogs. True!
This is a naive, uneducated stance. I wont bother talking to you about how it is an addiction, or telling all of the stories of the things I have seen when I was working in pubs during uni, or those since becoming a teacher, but I will leave you with this:
What about those adults who are "irresponsible" (when in fact addiction affects responsible people too but for arguments sake we will not go there) how do you feel about the effects on the families of these people? The children who are left in cars in the carpark at 1am in the morning and then shuffled along to school with no food? The oblivious partner who discovers they are about to lose their house?
I am not the moral police. I am not over the moon about the decision but as already mentioned the club is a business. I am not even against gambling, which can be enjoyable when people stay within their means and uderstand the odds.
But I am against this type of response. Addiction grabs at people from all walks of life. I hope you are not unfortunate enough to have someone you love affected by it.
Do children of those who have become gambling addicts have a choice?
I agree that the addicted gambler needs to take responsibility, they can't just say "I saw it on the Buldogs shorts, it is their fault".
But there is a point where gambling becomes an illness, not a pastime, and it is at this point where the choices made are not going to be rational. Just ask Ben Cousins.
I do believe you are either part of the problem or part of the solution. The sponsorship aims to increase their account holders, increase the amount of bets they receive and will inevitably increase cases of problem gamblers.
I think the Western Bulldogs have a responsibility to contribute some of the money they are earning and put it into education, prevention of problem gambling and rehabilitation. Otherwise they have got a bit of blood on their hands.
Do children of those who have become gambling addicts have a choice?
I am referring to people with addictions having a choice. There is no mention of the innocent children.
I would argue that, I totally agree. I also think that companies, clubs etc that make a profit from alcohol are responsible for contributing to alcohol programs in their community, just as I feel they should with gambling.
You can't eat your cake and expect it not to go to your arse too. Promoting alcohol, gambling etc will lead to problems for a minority, it is naive to think otherwise.
Last edited by The Adelaide Connection; 13-06-2009 at 02:14 PM.
Then how do you draw the assumption that I'm uneducated on the issue? What utterings on a Football Forum.My thought s are just that some life issues are optional that's all.
yes I've had mates with gambling issues,yes I've got a brother with serious gambling issues.
If you go back to the priginal post, I took the assumption that you were being naive and making uneducated comments from the comment you posted which was:
Sarcastically referring to those who take issue with those who speak against the evils of gambling is one thing, but taking the position that people who end up with gambling problems are "morons, drones" etc and that "responsible adults should make responsible decisions" is, in my opinion, a naive and uneducated response.
I have seen people from the unemployed to heads of companies and everywhere inbetween who have developed problems and often it is conjunction with other issues that the gambling then heightens and that in turn feeds the gambling in an often unbreakable catch 22. Depression and gambling, in particular, is as volatile as brake fluid and chlorine and anyone with a reasonable understanding of the back story of the Whitlams song can tell you that.
It suprises me that if you have been exposed to problem gamblers that you would dismiss the problem so lightly and peddle the "responsible adults should be responsible" line. Whilst I make no excuses for those who develop problems and agree they need to take responsibility, I understand that there are more complex issues that can fuel the problem. Irrational/desperate/depressed people make ill informed decisions at times.
We sold a little of our soul for presumably a large sum of money.
We did nothing illegal, but legality and morality are two different things. Our sponsorship comes from the profits of a company that makes money from some people with chronic problems that create socialital problems that directly lead to crime and social breakdowns. Lets not kid ourselves. We have 'sold out' to a certain extent. Fact.
The flip side is, our club is in a stronger position to remain in it's place and profitable for the longer term. That from a selfish point of view is a good thing from the WBFC perspective. So be it, the decision is made and we move on.
Rocket Science: the epitaph for the Beveridge era - whenever it ends - reading 'Here lies a team that could beat anyone on its day, but seldom did when it mattered most'. 15/7/2023