Bingo Slot Machines

[Mickie31]

The government are deciding to higher the maximum number of 500 pound jackpot machines allowed in Bingo Clubs and was supposed to choose from one of three options put to them by the operators. I personally think this is a terrible idea and can only see it bringing the amount of addiction and gambling to higher rates. We have enough slot machines in Bingo clubs right now and I feel it takes players away from the real reason they are there to play Bingo. How can the government justify raising the amount of 500 pound slot machines?
The government is due to make the announcement on Wednesday if they will relax the limits allowed on the number of slot machines. I would like to say that I think this will lead to higher criminal offences in the name of gambling addiction. We already have enough homeless and crime filled streets with shop lifters and other criminal offences. Surely the government can see that if they do relax the limits on the number of slot machines it could be a bad thing?
Currently Bingo halls prefer to allow the number of money machines to be linked with the size of the Bingo hall with the limits of around 14 – 15 machines. This to me seems ample and quite well reasoned out. If there are too many slot machines then it could tempt people to spend more or even work the other way so the Bingo hall loses out.
At the moment the government are deciding if there should be 20 percent of all machines in a bingo club to be 500 pound jackpot machines. The final option would be to allow a maximum of 15 top prize machines. This could well be abused and people could open bingo halls claiming they were for bingo when in actual truth they were filled with slot machines. This rings alarm bells for me and takes the focus off bingo. Bingo is fun enough so why do we need any slot machines. I can understand that some people enjoy them, but not to be abused by having so many slot machines. What do you think?

[tater03]

It is so read where a government is for adding more to bingo halls when here in the states they would actually like to shut them down. I can see where you are coming from though.

[Green-Moo]

I'm not going to comment on the issue of whether slot machines are right or wrong, but there certainly seem to be enough of them in Bongo halls already. I'd rather see slot machines in arcades dedicated to them, and keep them out of Bingo halls altogether. But that's just me! I don't like them at all.

[tater03]

I guess I wouldn't mind them only because if I go to play bingo that is what I personally would play. I find it more fun to play bingo than I do slot machines.

[mollyL]

At least with regular bingo a person has to sit down and pay attention and consider what's going on, do you know what I mean? Pumping money into a slot machine takes no brain power or attention. I can see people losing money before they even consider anything at all. I don't think its a good idea.

[Mickie31]

I totally agree with you Molly. Pumping money into a slot machine is something that people do automatically without even thinking about it. It is highly addictive and dangerous. Bingo is great fun on the other hand.

[justontime]

Molly you are quite right, slot machines are isolating, you play them on your own and the only boundaries to what you spend are the ones you impose on yourself. Bingo is more social and it requires more involvement from you. To some extent your pace of spending is controlled by the pace of the games. I wouldn't want to ban slot machines, but I think they should only be in more controlled environments and I think the size of the payout should be restricted.

[tater03]

You are right in that you can lose a lot of money fast playing the slot machines. I am lucky in that I limit myself and really don't play them all that often. Is this something that they are doing for sure now?

[mollyL]

Thanks all. You said it much better than I did.
I remember when I was younger, our family paid a visit to Lake Tahoe, which part of is right on the US California-Nevada state line; alot of places styled themselves as Cal-Neva. In Nevada gambling was legal, in Cali it was not. When we went to Nevada grocery stores, we were amazed to see people at slot machines not ten feet from the check-out counter. Later days, when my own family visited Las Vegas, we didn't go into grocery stores, but everywhere where we went, there were slot machines; even in the airport!
People with gambling addiction problems are losing money better spent on their family, kids, etc. The number of people who play slot machines and pray for that big win that will save them financially, I can't say, but it's got to be a big temptation where slot machines are found nearly everywhere.

[ninikins]

I just enjoy the game every now and then and I really dont like the slots version.