Hartlepool. A deprived community!!

[whatabouthisthen]

Last night on BBC local news.

Hartlepool's population spent £81M, yes £81,000,000, in one year on betting machines. The town has 73 betting shops, roughly one for every 1100 inhabitants.
The report also said that betting shops take out £13M from the Teesside economy.

In the Mail today, booze related actions cost £42M and 16000 sick days a year.

All this despite the fact that we live in a benefit dependent town and yet so much money is mis-spent on non-essentials.

It is worth mentioning that it wasBrown, in 1999, who removed the restrictions on betting and machines in particular. He further compounded this in 2003 by introducing a new Gaming and Gambling act. Blair/Brown removed the restrictions on licensing on are responsible for the binge culture. Two, fatal to many, acts that we are now paying for. Well done Labour!

[DRiddle]

£81M, yes £81,000,000

That can't be literally £81 million pounds actually being physically spent. That'll be the total that went through the machines.

For example, if you put £3 in one, win a fiver, put £2 back in, win £1 you've got £4 and are £1 better of, but you've actually 'spent' £5 in the machine. Even though you're walking away £1 better off.

No way can there have literally been £81 million pounds spent on betting machines in a true sense of what most people call 'spending'.

[pensionater]

There was a vote in Parliament the other day to change the Act.The Conservatives voted against it.

[whatabouthisthen]

Driddle.
First may I say that the figures are not mine. Watch last evening's Look North on iPlayer.
No doubt the £81M was a gross figure.
However, if you re-bet your winnings then surely you are  "spending" them on betting rather than on food etc thus the figure remains valid. Whether or not you put your winnings or your own money on a bet you are still spending.
Not being a betting man I can't follow your argument simply because bookies would not exist if it were true. The adage only the bookies are winners remains as true today as it did in my youth.
However, giving you the benefit of the doubt, perhaps you should concentrate on the the cost to the Teesside economy of  £13M and this from a benefit dependent, deprived area. The only losers here are the tax payers yet again - emergency grants etc

Missed the vote Pensionater so can't comment other than the whole debacle was, and remains, instigated by the Labour Party.

[DRiddle]

Fair enough. I don't think it'd matter a great deal if they closed every single betting shop on Teesside to be honest.

Online gambling is already a multi billion pound industry in the UK and growing at a rapid rate.

Every single person with a smart phone or a laptop is basically walking around or sitting at home with their own bookies right there with them.

The genie is too far out of the bottle to stop it.

[Hartlepudlion]

I think the point being made is how can a town like Hartlepool afford to spend over £100M on booze and gambling?
All this 'spare' cash, where does it come from?