Is it just me, but I have never seen so many adverts for so many on-line Bingo sites.
I am starting to find it quite alarming, especially as they all seem to lure you in with a free £10 to spend, but I see some small print sometimes on the screen that there is a minimum monthly spend!!!

Now I will admit I don't understand any type of gambling, and only buy the odd lottery ticket.
Maybe I am being over sensitive here, but I am really afraid that a few months down the line we are going to see news stories about mounting debts because of these sites, and the family break ups and suicides that go along with it.

At least when people I know go out to play Bingo they are having a good night out too, but I just fear for the lonely people sitting in front of their screens spending money on these sites with no safeguards, or anyone to say "enough, we are your limit"!!

I mean we all know how addictive some sites are geeks but at least we only have a voluntary yearly subscription to pay here.

Am I being alarmist, and scaremongering here?
Have any of you played on these sites, and think they are great, or have some of you been sucked in to overspending on them, waiting for that big win!!

Please feel free to allay my fears! although it may take some doing!

I expect that there are already lots of people who have become addicted to these and similar gambling sites. I think that these sites encourage spending, deception and debt which in turn is bound to cause massive problems within the family.

I think one of the worst things this government ever did was to de-regulate the gambling industry. Totally irresponsible given we're meant to be living in a nanny state.

With the advent of the internet, these sites obviously can tap in to a huge market - much bigger than the odd Friday night Bingo halls LOL.

They promote them as having everything - bingo, chat, chance of huge winnings whilst enjoying yourself at the same time.

I did join one once and got my £10 for £10 stake but I got bored and eventually left whilst still having a couple of pounds in my kitty.

They are praying on bored housewives - sorry I dont mean to generalise but I do believe that is their main market push!

Absolutely Fiona, you can tell that by how many more adverts for these sites are on during the day, when housewifes are watching.
There are now even more Bingo site adverts than the " Have you been injured or had an accident in the last 3 years?"
Lawyers R us adverts

I think you are quite right.I have thought exactly the same as you.They are aimed at just the sort of people that probably can't afford to play at all.
The adverts sit right inbetween programmes like Jeremy Kyle and Loose women and either side of other adverts asking whether you are in debt and need a huge interest loan.
No body ever seems to do anything about things like this until people are in desperate trouble and i think you are right that we will see a lot of women struggling with debt in the not so distant future.
On the subject of gambling there is a fantastic series with Steve Coogan on at the mo called sunshine which although fiction i should imagine is certainly close to the truth.

I've been watching this and it is brilliant. I should imagine that it is quite an accurate insight into the problems gambling can create.

As i was reading this a bingo advert came on LOL I must confess that i have been on one of the sites and paid my £10 and got my free £10 and won nothing waste of time and imo its just gonna cause people to get addicted to gambling.

it's heartbreaking to watch it, isn't it!
When they played Pavarotti singing Caruso at the end of episode one I have to admit to having a lump like a golf ball in my throat.
Looking forward to this evening's conclusion.

My husband refuses to watch this because a close family member of his had a gambling problem which led to him gambling his house out from underneath his wife and 3 kids....... He believes programs that make us feel sorry for gamblers are immoral - he's seen the hurt and devastation that a compulsive gambler can bring on a family.....

In a nutshell, said family member ended up being divorced by his wife after the loss of the house which basically freed him up to live how he wanted. So as a self-employed plasterer he worked until he had enough money for the bookies, cigarettes and the pub, after which that was where you would find him. He died aged 56 of bowel cancer that was lifestyle induced......

I know this all sounds a bit dramatic, but it happens.

Having watched the first two episodes it's certainly not the gambler I have any sympathy for, but his wife, son and father.

I have added a poll to this just to gauge what we think.

I do think that Sunshine has been an excellent programme in bringing home just how a gambling addiction can break up a family. I am afraid I have no sympathy for the main character though.

BUT I suspect that we are not truly aware yet that there is a major problem in this country , of more females getting into serious debt over their on line gambling habits.

At least if you go in to a Bookies there are laws and regulations to be followed, the staff are not allowed to show you how to fill out a line for instance, also you need to be a member to gamble in a Casino, which takes over 24 hours to be set up, so you can't just walk in off the street and gamble.

Yet anyone with a computer can log into one of these Bingo sites be given £10 to start them off.....it just does not seem right to me.

Nor me Izzi.

I have seen a couple of these adverts - spend £10 get £20 free.

I have not got a gambling bone in my body - not even Grand national sweeps etc and I was tempted to join just to look and get the free £20. I know I can always walk away but does everyone know that ??

I agree that lonely people at home could easily get sucked into this sort of thing - it is just too easy, and as others have said gambling is as destructive as drink and drugs.

If casinos and bookies are so closely regulated, why is this allowed ???

It must be so easy to be drawn into playing these on-line games and if you have an addictive persona, how quickly you could become addicted to playing and spending more than you can afford on playing. There is only ever one winner with gambling... and it ain't the punter!

I joined Gala years ago and I can honestly say I never deposited more than a £10 and got my free £10 play. I have won on it twice quite big amounts too which i immediatly deposited back into my bank account otherwise I think I would have spent it all.
They are starting to do my head in all the ads that are around now. I much rather prefer to go to the game in the flesh so to speak than sit and play online.
I spend all my free time on here anyway so no longer have the time to do it lol.
My friends hubby is a member of ladbrokes and that is just as bad.
I think all online gambling sites should be banned.
Jen xx