There is a great stats website called 11v11 I've used it for years as a source of information for my historical posts about Charlton. Sadly, that website is barely usable anymore. As soon as you go there, your screen is filled with overlapping pop-up ads. Also, within seconds the page is blurred out. In order to remove the blurring you have to click on a central pop-up which as no option to close. The pop-up then takes you to a 'sign up a new account' page on gambling site Bet365 You then have to manually close that page. And later remove any cookies it has planted in your computer. Personally, I would never want to visit the home page of ANY online gambling website. I find the amount of gambling advertising totally excessive now. Even on Sky Sports News, every ad break has two or three different bookies or Casino adverts. And TalkSport should re-name itself TalkBet. They talk about betting more than sport. I resent having to open a web page of an online gambling company. It is such a shame, and it has ruined 11v11 in my view. I hardly ever use it now. I'm not sure why Bet365 should even be allowed to use that name. It implies that betting should be an activity indulged in for every single day of the year. How does that measure up against the messages such websites put out about gambling responsibly? I'm not saying folk should not be allowed to gamble on football, or anything else. But the advertising is being rammed down the throats of young people these days as well as everyone else. Tighter controls on advertising should be brought in I believe. Similar restrictions to those imposed on tobacco and alcohol advertising.
I’ve seen mates who barely watched football suddenly get into it just because they started betting, mostly through an online casino that also offers sports odds. It changes how they look at the game—less about the teams and more about the money. It’s weird seeing people cheer for stuff they wouldn’t normally care about just because of a bet.
I used to like a bet on the fixed odds, I'd normally bet on us and the two lumps of filth down the road. Much to the anger of @Smudger603 quite often I'd stick dough on us losing. I have never had a problem doing that if I think the bank balance is going to increase.
This is not in any way a political post, but the current Government are planning to announce a major new tax levy on gambling in the budget on 26 October. This will be a disaster for the industry, will costs thousands of jobs, and will impact on football. I happy to briefly explain why in a non political way.
I will try to be non political @Dick Plumb1 as the answer impacts on football. The Govt plans to increase “betting tax” from its current 21% to 50% on all on line bets. The High St industry is already dead on its feet, it’s a loss leader, but it still employs thousands of people in low paid jobs. Big hitters in the industry have warned that a 29% tax increase on part of their business will cause them to cull the loss leading part, hundreds of high st betting shops. In addition to that, they will be reducing funding for local community projects & sponsorship of football clubs, meaning again less money going into football. Unfortunately the current Govt understands nothing about gambling, sport, and the link between taxation and these nice little extras such as jobs. In actual fact, it knows nothing about business full stop, but I won’t stray any further. There will definitely be a steep rise in betting tax this month.
@Royston Hawtrey please make no apologies for posting the above, it is very interesting, and as mostly with your posts very thought provoking.
