In the US, it is said that the French culture rarely see's drinking problems because they serve wine to young children who get used to it - so they don't overindulge. Likewise, it is said that in the UK there are few people with gambling problems because there are sports betting shops on every corner and punters get used to the action - so they don't overindulge. And here in the US, I've been playing roulette and enjoying systems like my favorite column play for over 25 years - haven't caught the habit yet, so I'm safe!
Back to the UK, where fruit machines (slots) were found in those same betting shops for years with £25 jackpots, a loophole allowed roulette machines to be installed that offered £500 payoffs several years ago, and they have been "on probation" until recently when a possible ban was averted. Is there a gambling problem now? No, according to William Hill and Ladbrooks, who together have 17,000 machines in those same shops with a combined £21bn staked on touch-screen games. And no, according to Culture minister Hugh Robertson who sees "a lack of evidence to back that up," when asked about claims that the machines present a major problem with gaming addiction."
In the US, where casinos are sprouting-up like weeds, most jurisdictions in need of tax revenue see no evidence of gaming addiction. That's comforting to know, and I can find roulette machines with all the features of a live game in the few locations where the table game isn't found. Ain't life grand?
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