Having a punt

Gambling is a strange affliction. As many bookies have previously noted, the most lucrative customers are usually the desperate, inebriated, stupid or a combination of those three. As far back as I can remember its been something in the UK which carries a very small amount of negative social connotation in comparison to the stigma attached to it in other countries, both western and eastern.

Gambling in the UK is associated with elderly gentlemen having a harmless flutter on a horse race on a saturday, discussing the likely outcome with their friends over a pint and then ambling back for their dinner, having a punt on the grand national based on the name of the horse or possibly at it's most scientific, betting on the likely champions for a forthcoming football season.

This collective lack of awareness as to the dangers of gambling has likely left the UK ripe for the tidal wave of gambling that has hit the UK in the last five years. Anyone who has sat through halftime during a football match will know the vast number of companies seeking to encourage people to follow their convictions and take a punt on the most insignificant of factors. Suddenly had a brainwave as to the number of corners that are going to be awarded to Tranmere? Betfred can offer you 7-4 on their being 5 in the first 17 minutes of the first half and look, Ray Winstone's disembodied head is offering 19/3 on Colchester beating Darlington 2-1! The desire to bet grows stronger.

It doesn't stop there either, with Foxy Bingo allowing you to experience the thrill of someone shouting numbers at you without you having to socialise with other people or, for that matter, putting any clothes on. Coupled with Ladbrokes casino offering all the fun of a casino without the pain of drinking or having to actually leave the house.

You would think that this might have curtailed the growth of physical gambling venues, but there are more bookmakers and casinos than ever.

Either, we as a country are developing a serious gambling habit or there are a lot of bookies that are going to be losing money over the next few years as the advertising budgets fail to drag punters to the website or venue.

Given we have seen very little of the latter I suspect the former. Given the propensity of Britons to hide these things, are we suffering an affliction that we do not wish to uncover for fear of revealing the seriousness with which it has gripped us?

I'm fucked if I know but I do feel strongly that there will be 18 throw-ins in Shrewsbury vs Carlisle. Where's that credit card?