If you lose $100, you haven't really got anything for free have you?
That's expensive coffee and party pies!!!!!!

That's the really strange thing Hacche - when I walk past the people playing the machines at my local club very few of them actually seem to be enjoying themselves. Most of them seem to be staring at the machine with quite a blank look on their faces pressing the button repeatedly without pausing between each game. Sure they get excited when they have a big win (small wins seem to have little effect) but almost nobody actually takes the money out - they just gamble it away again.

Have you ever wondered why the clubs are so generous with the food/coffee? It is so that you don't have to leave the machines to feed yourself and they make more money! If they could just incorporate a toilet into the machine they would be laughing. As Chief points out for every $5 worth of food/coffee they give out for "free" they probably get at least $100 in poker machine profits - damn good investment on their behalf.

I agree with you becareful. People do NOT seem to enjoy playing. The majority appear as automatons with fixed stares.

Before you criticise posters for their comments Hacche, note that not only have I visited Las Vegas twice in the past two years (where you receive free alcohol whilst playing) but my thesis for my Masters in Sociology was entitled "The Social Evil of the Poker Machine in Australia."

Maybe I'm qualified to answer?

Ryan

Not just a pretty face! :wink:

Hey, look at the busloads of pensioners who turn up for an outing. Their not blank. Their enjoying playing.

The latest figures just released 17th. July by the Federal Government, state that gambling had a 8 billion dollar turn over this year ,which is up again on last year , they said the majority was from POKER MACHINES.

The Government also expressed concern & were going to look at possible ways of minimising the volumn in the clubs , pubs & casinos.

The figures are realy obvious now, that Gambling percentage growth has exceeded retail store growth ,& thats a worry when a number of stores are struggling.
This is what the Retail Association has been advising the Government for some time.

The Government is the real addict here , lets see if they can shake this monkey off their back or will profit before principle once again rou` the day .

__________________
Cheers.

Bhagwan

I predict that legislation will be amended that reduces the maximum number of machines per premises. Of course this won't be retrospective and premises that currently have X number of machines will be allowed to keep them, it will only affect new applications.

This will allow pollies to say "Look, we've reduced the number of poker machines" but obviously won't provide any help to addicted gamblers. It also won't reduce the Governments income from pokies.

At least it will appear positive, which is all that anyone connected with these insidious machines wants to do. There is simply too much money involved.

Ryan

[ This Message was edited by: Ryan on 2002-07-20 19:49 ]

........Well said Ryan........

__________________
Cheers.

Does anyone really understand how & when pokies pay out??? If you think that you can win from the pokies...you're fooling yourself! This is what really goes on:
- All poker machines are linked electronically to a main frame thus the total control of monies (the govt. knows exactly how much $$$ is coming in).
- The law says that a % of $$$ needs to go back to the players. (Now this is randomly spread across the state). How many venues, machines and players are there in the state?

So what they do is program the main frame to randomly pay out x amount at y venue on machine #z001. People who do not understand how it's done think that they can win & make a profit. Dear oh dear, the only people making a profit is the government.

I had to explain to my parents that you have to be in the right place at the right time to win, it's pure and simple luck... They still believe that playing on a certain machine after someone has lost a bit of coins will make them win. FOOLISH !!!

The older manual machines of the 70's were giving a lot more back to the players unlike today's computer controlled high profit margin revenue machines.

But at the end of the day, it's your money and your life. So you're in control or are you?

I have a little system for playing the pokies......

Go and get the free coffee and sandwiches and go home!!!

:lol:

You can't lose.
:wink:

When I was a child, some years ago now, I used to love reading the duck comics put out by Disney. Every now and then they would put in a story about the three little pigs. As those of you who are well read would know there were two pigs who were a bit dopey and did silly things and one who was quite clever and cautious.
This last pig was given the name of Practical Pig. Whenever the two less gifted pigs did something silly and reckless Practical Pig would bail them out and then deliver a lecture on their foolishness while waggling a finger. At the time I thought that Practical Pig was something of a smart aleck and killjoy. With advanced age and hopefully wisdom my stance on Practical Pig has altered somewhat.
As far as poker machines are concerned I feel certain that my own view and that of Practical Pig would, at this stage of my life, probably concur.