The point is people don't "want" to piss their money away on those machines, they're hopelessly addicted to them and can't stop. The nature of the betting (you can bet every twenty seconds) and the design (flashing lights, easy to play again etc.) are more addictive than other forms of gambling, which is why bookies make such a huge share of their profits from them.

I'm not sure it is another nail in the high street coffin either. There are times where you see two or three betting shops in a row (of the same brand!) to allow them to stuff as many FOB machines as they can into an area. Is losing that trend harmful to the high street, or does it open up capacity for other shops and cafes?

No one's forcing them to play them and flashing lights is hardly akin hypnosis or putting them in an uncontrollable trance. People just love to be able to blame someone or something else. I don't buy this one form of gambling is more addictive than another, ask someone else who has lost a lot of money gambling on something else and they'll probably have many reasons why their form was worse or more addictive.

It's not the state of the high street in what it has to offer, it's the knock on effect as the empty units will not simply be snapped up.

So you lose jobs and occupied shops, which have spending power in other nearby shops for food, drink, whatever, the landlord loses rent, the footfall goes down etc.

The last thing we need is more coffee shops. That's one place where morons are easily parted from their money and also seem addicted, but I don't advocate regulating them.

It might not require knowledge to put a bet on but lots of horse punters and some football punters have knowledge. Not many daily horse punters bet on the colour or name, mate. Maybe on ladies day or the national but not a regular punter. That’s nonsense.

Lottery products don’t ruin people of their wages before clocking in. FOBT’s do.

You might be an idiot to put your money in an FOBT, or an addict or desperate. I had to delay withdrawing a lot of money when the manager told me 15 minutes before he opened the safe with about 6 Northern dish cloth sellers who’d knocked on my door earlier in there.

‘Addicted idiot?’ How pleasant. Fvck em then. Let’s rid any responsibility of society.

The 2nd, third or 4th bookie closing is not a bad thing. Maybe if you were amongst it you’d agree.

But that's where the addictive gamblers will move to, anything they can bet on. They're not suddenly going to become experts in it, and in fact they'll probably make even stupider bets based simply on high odds that seem appealing.

There's nothing to stop anyone gambling and losing as much or more than on FOBTs. You were arguing over the "skill" factor not the likelyhood of losing all your money before starting work.

No idea what your dish cloth story is about.

Let's rid anyone of self responsibility instead ay?

You mean enticing or tempting, not addictive, but you don't let a child ride the toy outside the supermarket all day long cos it's got flashing lights on it.

They’re scientifically proven to be addictive and keep you throwing your money in every 20 seconds and addicts have made this very point. What more evidence do you need?

Why don’t we make gambling more accessible if it’s up to people?

Fact is it will help some but not all and that’s a good thing. Better that than give people as much chance to ruin themselves. If you don’t agree then okay. I doubt it would be a welcome opinion in a civilised setting and conversation but never mind.