Australian "Pokies" - I can't believe they are in use here
If you don't know what "pokies" are you are just like me 15 days ago. I saw signs all over the place talking about pokies pokies pokies! and well, now i know what they are. Pokies are legalized gambling machines that are sort of like a slot machine but just far more advanced and completely digital.
Here are a few issues I have with the existence of these machines.
- Everything is heavily regulated in Australia. There are so many rules designed to protect people from themselves including high taxes on booze and tobacco, incredibly regulated traffic patterns and speed limits, and even rules about how when and where you can ride a bike. How is it then, that something that is very well-known to ruin people's lives and has an exceptional addiction rate associated with it not only allowed, but is literally everywhere?
I'll tell you why: It's called hypocrisy and tax revenue.
- Anyone who has ever played mario cart knows how exceptionally fast a computer can cheat. Why would you ever sit down at a computer controlled gambling machine thinking that you had any chance of coming out ahead? I'm not saying that no one ever wins because if they didn't no one would play. You have to be aware of the fact that the system is definitely rigged against you and it probably has a user interface that allows the owner to control the payout percentage.
Computers can and do cheat, they can do it much faster than you can see it happening too. I can't imagine a rational person sitting down at one of these things and believing that they are entering a fair game.
My friend played a few of the machines. They have different graphics and what not but the games are all identical. Basically nothing that comes on the screen is at all important other than a few of the ones that are mostly coins or bags of coins or whatever. What I am trying to say is that despite the fact that there are 40 varieties of games, they are all the same.
This places that have the pokies are filled with what i have to presume are mostly pensioners (people who no long work) and are on a fixed income i presume. So how can a government feel as though it is ok for any business to be basically stealing from this demographic. I was in a pokie hall for about 30 minutes (I was at the bar) and i would imagine the average age of the people coming up to the counter to NOT claim their winnings was 70+. It just makes me sad to see this happen.
Mostly, I just think that it is horrible that a place that claims to be looking out for your best interests by controlling everything in your life (I have honestly never been to a country as regulated as Australia) would have such a blatant hypocrisy right in front of you, everywhere that you go. I don't care that the pokies exist, because I believe we should be able to do whatever we want provided it doesn't hurt someone else.
What I don't like is a government telling everyone what to do in their day to day life, claiming it is for their own good, while simultaneously turning a blind eye to one of the biggest addictions in existence. It's like making all drugs and alcohol illegal except for a really life-destroying one like meth.
They absolutely have a user interface that allows the owner to control the payout percentage. They also have very strict records software and are regularly audited by the government gambling commission or equivalent to ensure that the return is within strictly-regulated bounds.
So it's not "cheating," really, but they are programmed to give a return less than 100%. It's still possible to beat them in some circumstances, either through promotions by the place of operations or through strategically playing at particular high amounts of progressive jackpots.
There's a whole industry of people running around making a living beating digital slot machines, and it's intriguing if you happen to be into that sort of thing. I've dabbled in the online versions of it and did pretty well when online gambling was new and the promotions weren't very well thought through.
I know one Steemit blogger on that subject: @doughtaker
You have a minor misspelling in the following sentence:
It should be existence instead of existance.I just learned about pokies from a fun podcast I listen to called My Favorite Murder, I highly recommend it if you're interested in true crime. They just briefly mentioned them because they had done a tour in Sydney in September of 2017. I also agree that it's pretty mind blowing that they would have all these nanny state laws and then allow these to be legal, pretty ironic!
Approximately 15 years ago pokies were only available in Oz in NSW. Bus loads of interstaters would travel for a "weekend away" , many pensioner groups. Now they are available in many states (not sure hiw many, WA is only at the casino).
Many pensioners go to the pokies for company and to relieve the boredom and many others go and spend their entire "dole" cheques also. The government dont "care" who they target, who you are, they want the revenue and certainly getting it. You can basically walk in any hotel and the pokie seats are full. Pokies have increased crime and families are starving due to them. Many are addicted and cannot get away from them, chasing the "buck" and losses so to speak!
A mate of mine used to service them and says they are programmed for you to lose overall, I agree. So the overall bigger perspective on pokies is "Do the Australian Government have our welfare at heart"? The answer is clearly not. I say "Step away from the pokies". Thankyou for your post!
The Government
Is for the Governors
Who control the Governed!
I find all gambling machines infuriating. I had my fill in Vegas a few years ago on a blackjack machine. A friend in Vegas bought me a little mini blackjack machine that I practiced on at home for a couple of days before going to the casino. I got so good on that little machine that I was actually winning quite a lot! The toy was fair, as it randomly shuffled the deck and played like a normal game you'd have with friends.
However, once I got to the casino, it was a completely different story. Not only were you contending with having to be a good blackjack player, but the machine would constantly serve impossible to win hands. It did it so often that it became blatantly obvious that it was statistically impossible for me to lose so often with a truly randomized deck.
As far as I'm concerned, gambling should either be outlawed the world over, or machined should be required to be fair and random. Of course in either situation the result would just end up being no gambling. Good riddance! I will prefer to try my luck at the stock market or cryptocurrencies.
Yep. I believe all gambling is rigged. Not for me.
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I’m surprised that people use them. In this casino in Portsmouth, England, that my mate used to always go in there was always older Asian ladies sat at the slot machines all night.
I’ve been to Vegas before and was shocked how like 90% of casinos were slot machines!
As you’ve described ‘pokies’ are a bit different but I personally don’t see the attraction to them
There is nothing as sad as the haunted look of old people losing every penny of their pensions in those places. The loneliness, the addiction.
I used to see George Best, the once famous footballer, gambling on the fruit machines (our name for pokies) over here. He would feed hundreds and hundreds of pounds into them in half an hour.
Over here, we not only have arcades (ie pokies) but we have legalized bookmakers in every town, sometimes in every street of every town, and when you go inside, all there is is despair. People staring vacantly into space as greyhounds and horses run around in circles on screens.
And many of the folks who work at these joints, anecdotally, I can tell you, feel the need to shortchange these gamblers on their winnings, because they resent and hate them for their weakness. Systematic stealing from these broken souls is par for the course.
I'm big on freedom, and I wouldn't regulate people's choices myself, but I hate those places. :(
I knew about pokies, but never played it as being aware that it is controlled by someone, as to why would the owner buy such expensive machines and let others get benefit through it? and off course controlling is bad. that was a productive piece of information, keep flourishing!