bickster Posted July 21, 2022 Moderator Share Posted July 21, 2022 3 minutes ago, Anthony said: Just turned up at Euston for my train to Liverpool. Cancelled. Now have to wait for an hour in Euston, which is so lovely and smells really great. I love the smell of Euston, the aroma of all the streets paved with gold liquid 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Xela Posted July 21, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted July 21, 2022 The abundance of gambling/betting firms sponsoring teams and sporting events. Everything is sponsored by Sky Bet or Bet365 or BetFred. When are they going to ban it? Tobacco sponsorship was banned c20 years ago. What makes the gambling industry so bulletproof? 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlwaysAVFC Posted July 21, 2022 Share Posted July 21, 2022 2 hours ago, bickster said: Royal Mail A parcel arrived for me today except I was in work. My neighbours are in both sides and always take stuff in for us and we do the same for them. So what does the lazy arsed postie do? Takes it to a post office. The local post office in our village has closed (bloke retired) so the nearest one is in Formby, no big deal except the one they took it to is only open from 10am to half 5. How is anyone working meant to pick that up? Grrrrrr! Was it Parcel force rather than Royal Mail? Guess it could be a local policy but we'd never take things to a post office apart from arranged local collects. I don't know how parcel force determine which post office to take it to. I don't very often deliver to neighbours. Stopped that soon after starting as a postie after someone kicked off because they were working nights and I woke them up. The exceptions being if I know that a neighbour will take it, I've been asked to (a note or delivery instruction) or the neighbour is outside or visble in the house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genie Posted July 21, 2022 Share Posted July 21, 2022 4 hours ago, bickster said: Royal Mail A parcel arrived for me today except I was in work. My neighbours are in both sides and always take stuff in for us and we do the same for them. So what does the lazy arsed postie do? Takes it to a post office. The local post office in our village has closed (bloke retired) so the nearest one is in Formby, no big deal except the one they took it to is only open from 10am to half 5. How is anyone working meant to pick that up? Grrrrrr! You can request it is redelivered on a day of your choosing can’t you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted July 21, 2022 Moderator Share Posted July 21, 2022 1 hour ago, AlwaysAVFC said: Was it Parcel force rather than Royal Mail? Yes it was, my bad 7 minutes ago, Genie said: You can request it is redelivered on a day of your choosing can’t you? Doesn't seem to be an option for that Looks like I'll have to either "WFH" for an hour or get it Saturday. (between 10 an 1) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genie Posted July 21, 2022 Share Posted July 21, 2022 Just now, bickster said: Yes it was, my bad Doesn't seem to be an option for that Looks like I'll have to either "WFH" for an hour or get it Saturday. (between 10 an 1) Ah ok, probably the parcelforce thing. I’m sure with RM you can go onto the website and select a new delivery day, or pay about 50p and get it delivered to a local post office / shop. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
limpid Posted July 22, 2022 Administrator Share Posted July 22, 2022 21 hours ago, Xela said: The abundance of gambling/betting firms sponsoring teams and sporting events. Everything is sponsored by Sky Bet or Bet365 or BetFred. When are they going to ban it? Tobacco sponsorship was banned c20 years ago. What makes the gambling industry so bulletproof? Genuine question: Would you be interested in paying more for the same product without the advertising? Something else you don't like will only take the place of the current sponsors, would you actually pay more to change the system? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davkaus Posted July 22, 2022 Share Posted July 22, 2022 10 minutes ago, limpid said: Genuine question: Would you be interested in paying more for the same product without the advertising? Something else you don't like will only take the place of the current sponsors, would you actually pay more to change the system? Maybe bang average PL players don't need to earn £60k a week. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davkaus Posted July 22, 2022 Share Posted July 22, 2022 To actually address your question though, if something else replaces it though, as long as it's something less morally repulsive than gambling, it's a win IMO. Having a car dealership on our shirt is a bit tacky, but doesn't provoke the same revulsion as the gambling ads 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xela Posted July 22, 2022 Share Posted July 22, 2022 27 minutes ago, limpid said: Genuine question: Would you be interested in paying more for the same product without the advertising? Something else you don't like will only take the place of the current sponsors, would you actually pay more to change the system? I'm not against advertising, it's just I'm not keen on it from certain industries. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
limpid Posted July 23, 2022 Administrator Share Posted July 23, 2022 15 hours ago, Xela said: I'm not against advertising, it's just I'm not keen on it from certain industries. There will be someone with a problem with a company that sells cars because of the environmental impacts. Some people aren't bothered about gambling adverts. It seems to me, someone should either accept advertising regardless of personal feelings or pay to not have advertising. I don't really see how a middle ground where you only get certain ads is feasible. Almost no-one changes their advertising preferences even when they have a strong dislike for certain advertising sectors. People who turn off tracking cookies get the basic ads for the site's core markets. On VT I suspect opting out of tracking means more gambling ads and male grooming products aimed at 25-45 year olds. Personally I pay to not have ads on anything I use regularly when that option is available. That makes me a customer rather than a product. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Xela Posted July 23, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted July 23, 2022 13 minutes ago, limpid said: There will be someone with a problem with a company that sells cars because of the environmental impacts. Some people aren't bothered about gambling adverts. It seems to me, someone should either accept advertising regardless of personal feelings or pay to not have advertising. I don't really see how a middle ground where you only get certain ads is feasible. Almost no-one changes their advertising preferences even when they have a strong dislike for certain advertising sectors. People who turn off tracking cookies get the basic ads for the site's core markets. On VT I suspect opting out of tracking means more gambling ads and male grooming products aimed at 25-45 year olds. Personally I pay to not have ads on anything I use regularly when that option is available. That makes me a customer rather than a product. I think we're at crossed purposes here. I'm not on about adverts on websites, i'm on about the gambling industry having an iron grip on sports and sponsoring whole leagues and world championships. I can't pay to have that removed. The decision was made 20 years ago that tobacco advertising was to be banned for health reasons and in my opinion, gambling should go the same way, as they can both have devastating impacts on peoples lives due to their addictive nature. You are right in that some people might be offended by car supermarkets or confectionary sponsors but most people can see the difference between the impact of gambling and a used Vauxhall/packet of crisps. It's perfect for this thread as I don't find gambling appealing at all, but I do worry that more people might fall into the hole. 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
limpid Posted July 23, 2022 Administrator Share Posted July 23, 2022 11 minutes ago, Xela said: I think we're at crossed purposes here. I'm not on about adverts on websites, i'm on about the gambling industry having an iron grip on sports and sponsoring whole leagues and world championships. I can't pay to have that removed. The decision was made 20 years ago that tobacco advertising was to be banned for health reasons and in my opinion, gambling should go the same way, as they can both have devastating impacts on peoples lives due to their addictive nature. You are right in that some people might be offended by car supermarkets or confectionary sponsors but most people can see the difference between the impact of gambling and a used Vauxhall/packet of crisps. It's perfect for this thread as I don't find gambling appealing at all, but I do worry that more people might fall into the hole. I agree it's perfect for this thread Gambling wrecks lives. Cars are killing the planet. Insurance is just gambling with a posh coat. Airlines are killing the planet That's 17 of the PL clubs shirt sponsors. Adverts are adverts though. Shirt sponsorship is a thing because clubs make money by advertising on shirts. That money would need to come from elsewhere for it to stop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KentVillan Posted July 23, 2022 Share Posted July 23, 2022 (edited) 47 minutes ago, limpid said: I agree it's perfect for this thread Gambling wrecks lives. Cars are killing the planet. Insurance is just gambling with a posh coat. Airlines are killing the planet That's 17 of the PL clubs shirt sponsors. Adverts are adverts though. Shirt sponsorship is a thing because clubs make money by advertising on shirts. That money would need to come from elsewhere for it to stop. I don’t think the gambling / cars analogy works. Gambling almost uniquely makes the majority* of its profits from pathological customers, ie problem gamblers. The advertising is specifically designed to reel them in. That’s different from industries that may have negative impacts on the world, but are not completely centred around that negative impact as their core proposition. Edit: * whether it's a majority is disputed, but typical estimates seem to range from around 15% to 50% according to https://www.greo.ca/Modules/EvidenceCentre/files/GREO (2019) Evidence brief Proportion of revenue from problem gambling.pdf ("Generally, the proportion of revenue derived from those with problem gambling ranges from 15-50% across studies") although that includes some studies estimating well over 50%. Either way, that's a very substantial proportion of revenues derived from vulnerable people. Are we really arguing that something similarly destructive is happening with adverts for cars, airline tickets, etc.? For me gambling is in the same bracket as cigarettes, cocaine, heroin, etc. for extreme social harm with limited upside. Edited July 23, 2022 by KentVillan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
limpid Posted July 23, 2022 Administrator Share Posted July 23, 2022 1 hour ago, KentVillan said: I don’t think the gambling / cars analogy works. Gambling almost uniquely makes the majority* of its profits from pathological customers, ie problem gamblers. The advertising is specifically designed to reel them in. That’s different from industries that may have negative impacts on the world, but are not completely centred around that negative impact as their core proposition. Edit: * whether it's a majority is disputed, but typical estimates seem to range from around 15% to 50% according to https://www.greo.ca/Modules/EvidenceCentre/files/GREO (2019) Evidence brief Proportion of revenue from problem gambling.pdf ("Generally, the proportion of revenue derived from those with problem gambling ranges from 15-50% across studies") although that includes some studies estimating well over 50%. Either way, that's a very substantial proportion of revenues derived from vulnerable people. Are we really arguing that something similarly destructive is happening with adverts for cars, airline tickets, etc.? For me gambling is in the same bracket as cigarettes, cocaine, heroin, etc. for extreme social harm with limited upside. So would you pay more to not have these ads? Have you changed your ad preferences to exclude them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KentVillan Posted July 23, 2022 Share Posted July 23, 2022 25 minutes ago, limpid said: So would you pay more to not have these ads? Have you changed your ad preferences to exclude them? Pay more for what? I guess it would depend on the product. I haven’t changed my ad preferences because I don’t gamble more than once or twice a year and don’t have a gambling problem, so they are just a minor irritation on a personal level. But my father in law has gone bankrupt twice through gambling addiction, so if it was something he was using, I would much rather he didn’t see these ads. I do get your point - people want stuff for free, and ad revenues are helping to provide that product. But we banned cigarette advertising for the same reason, and the system still worked. Lots of stuff thrives on advertising without directly exploiting vulnerable people as the core pillar of its business model. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddywhack Posted July 23, 2022 Share Posted July 23, 2022 The Black Country flag. Or more the fact it’s coated absolutely everywhere down the road from me in shell corner, blackheath. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
limpid Posted July 23, 2022 Administrator Share Posted July 23, 2022 57 minutes ago, KentVillan said: Pay more for what? I guess it would depend on the product. I haven’t changed my ad preferences because I don’t gamble more than once or twice a year and don’t have a gambling problem, so they are just a minor irritation on a personal level. But my father in law has gone bankrupt twice through gambling addiction, so if it was something he was using, I would much rather he didn’t see these ads. I do get your point - people want stuff for free, and ad revenues are helping to provide that product. But we banned cigarette advertising for the same reason, and the system still worked. Lots of stuff thrives on advertising without directly exploiting vulnerable people as the core pillar of its business model. I agree, but as the pool of advertisers reduces, demand for ad space falls and therefore ad revenue decreases. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KentVillan Posted July 23, 2022 Share Posted July 23, 2022 1 hour ago, limpid said: I agree, but as the pool of advertisers reduces, demand for ad space falls and therefore ad revenue decreases. For sure. There’s always a balance that needs to be struck. I’d say gambling ads fall on the wrong side of that, but I understand why others disagree. And I probably benefit from things funded by ad revenues. Not a straightforward problem with a correct answer 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisp65 Posted July 23, 2022 Share Posted July 23, 2022 3 minutes ago, KentVillan said: For sure. There’s always a balance that needs to be struck. I’d say gambling ads fall on the wrong side of that, but I understand why others disagree. And I probably benefit from things funded by ad revenues. Not a straightforward problem with a correct answer The thing is, no gambler I’ve ever spoken to thinks they’re down on the deal. To be fair to the gambling companies, tv, and football shirts, they are trying to get us all in on the easy money but some of us just aren’t listening. It does feel like after fags and asbestos and drink driving, gambling could be the next perfectly legal thing that the woke start attacking. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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