tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post5394690273703419288..comments2024-03-28T21:25:08.138+13:00Comments on Bowalley Road: Beating The HouseChris Trotterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09081613281183460899noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-59180167648174297632012-04-29T22:03:00.724+12:002012-04-29T22:03:00.724+12:00What I hate about the casinos is that they are alw...What I hate about the casinos is that they are always threatening people, at the point of a gun, that they must go to the casino and leave all their money there.<br />That is reprehensible.<br />It would be better if people were free to go to the casino if they so wished, but having them forcibly sent there is unspeakable.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-30116873246787804002012-04-26T14:29:50.880+12:002012-04-26T14:29:50.880+12:00@Anonymous, April 26, 2.42pm: While I do not think...@Anonymous, April 26, 2.42pm: While I do not think that the harmful effects of cigarettes should be concealed from people, the mania to stop people from smoking is to me yet another assertion of cultural power, along with the mania for bleating about fatness,etc. This is especially so when adequate housing, living wages, etc, are given such a low priority, and treated as beyond our control. We are far too fond of helping people in ways that amount to belittling them, but not in ways that make things easier for them. It is rather like the blaming of gin for the grinding poverty in 19th century England. <br /><br />I would say the same thing about ordinary forms of gambling, like a bet on the horses or a game of poker, but the pokie machines are more sinister, since in their case the House is not gambling at all, only the players are. And their capacity for taking money is all but infinite: at least with the horses there are only so many races on the card. Someone on the Standard called them "the crack cocaine of gambling" which I think is a good analogy.Olwynnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-13784109396191960182012-04-26T12:42:17.494+12:002012-04-26T12:42:17.494+12:00'I generally loathe the 19th century attitude ...'I generally loathe the 19th century attitude that would leave poor people with the pain of poverty but take away their medication, which is for the most part a self-righteous and hypocritical assertion of cultural power.However, I am right with you on the pokies. They are an out and out evil; pretty lights enticing desperate people to play against a loaded dice.'<br /><br />What is your take on cigarettes?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-75016764798614253312012-04-25T20:14:27.829+12:002012-04-25T20:14:27.829+12:00Is there nothing that you don't want to contro...Is there nothing that you don't want to control - what a sad fascist world you would create for us. Anything that is not specifically allowed is forbidden.Mark Wilsonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-36474302707915335242012-04-25T11:40:19.164+12:002012-04-25T11:40:19.164+12:00Chris
I agree with you.
Some people will find ...Chris<br /><br />I agree with you. <br /><br />Some people will find opportunities to gamble come what may, and I don't believe we should make gambling between individuals, or the office sweep stake illegal. However, we don't need or want Casino's or large scale State sponsored gambling in this country.<br /><br />Casino's, the TAB, and Lotto are all opportunities to extract money from those who appear to be otherwise without hope.<br /><br />I suspect the Government started the TAB in 1950 to generate tax revenue, rather than see it go into the hands of private book makers, and the State's involvement and share of the revenues, have escalated from there.Brendan McNeillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02741263914308842497noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-73788557606700254682012-04-25T11:38:35.207+12:002012-04-25T11:38:35.207+12:00To be a consistent winner in any gamble, you don&#...To be a consistent winner in any gamble, you don't have to be an expert gambler. You just have to make sure that everyone else is a loser and they stay at the table.<br /><br />Casinos are consistent winners<br /><br />How does that feel, SkyCity patrons?<br /><br />The people who will benefit from you are the convention organisers; And further down the line, the knock-shops and the herpes futures exchanges.<br /><br />Congratulations to us. We've just met Mammon, a real famous guy. He once won Christ's cloak in a game.<br /><br />MickAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-61509913249832269712012-04-25T08:50:33.796+12:002012-04-25T08:50:33.796+12:00You will see genuine moral courage from the leader...You will see genuine moral courage from the leader of the Labour party when my cat puts out the rubbish and hangs up the washing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-30227258608212462502012-04-25T07:46:16.479+12:002012-04-25T07:46:16.479+12:00Why don't the people who run conventions build...Why don't the people who run conventions build themselves a center? Why do the public have to subsidise them by building their place of business? Corporate welfare is just as important a subject as how we pay for it.guerilla surgeonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-84732050897928124752012-04-24T23:08:21.221+12:002012-04-24T23:08:21.221+12:00It would be interesting to have a camera in the ca...It would be interesting to have a camera in the casinos. Someone told me the staff were dealing with up a gambler in the toilets of the Christchurch casino. He said it happens often when they hit rock bottom and throw out all their toys. In this case he said they were splashing his face with water. But you know, if you want to make an omelet you have to break a few eggs.jhnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-46794838910024871362012-04-24T21:00:13.966+12:002012-04-24T21:00:13.966+12:00John Key and his business cronies are brewing up a...John Key and his business cronies are brewing up a vat of rebellion that will make the derelict states (Holland??)look like pussy cats.<br /><br />Key can always retire to his home in Hawaii (aka USA). He made his wealth in the USA.<br /><br />Key fundamentally does not give a shit about this country. He does not need it.<br /><br />Key is driving an agenda from Wall Street.<br /><br />So is the National Party.<br /><br />AFFCO and Talleys know that well enough.<br /><br />Encouraging pokies and convention centres is so "hands off" "laissez faire" "free market".<br /><br />Yeah right!<br /><br />Who picks up the social cost?<br /><br />This government is so like several dictatorships on this planet. <br />all it wants to to do is create monuments to its own grandiose visions of itself.<br /><br />Create the monument! Fuck the social cost and human misery.<br /><br />Ideology rules! OK!<br /><br />I would use an identity. but I cannot be bothered wasting my time negotiating your border controls.<br /><br />peterlepaysanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-72040518680384345002012-04-24T16:45:04.347+12:002012-04-24T16:45:04.347+12:00The house or the bookie has to win overall, becaus...The house or the bookie has to win overall, because whatever your bet is, the bookie's bet is "something else,"which carries a higher probability than a given individual bet. Even an odds-on favourite has to beat x amount of other horses, for example. But modern pokies don't even leave that much to chance,since wins and losses are predetermined by electronic control. <br /><br />I generally loathe the 19th century attitude that would leave poor people with the pain of poverty but take away their medication, which is for the most part a self-righteous and hypocritical assertion of cultural power.However, I am right with you on the pokies. They are an out and out evil; pretty lights enticing desperate people to play against a loaded dice.Olwynnoreply@blogger.com