
Stroll into any casino in virtually any city and you’ll see customers sucking down wine, cocktails and beer as they gamble at poker and roulette tables (casino igre). Perhaps due to glamorous movie characters such as James Bond, gambling is seen to go hand in hand with alcohol, but is this a good idea?
Shaken and stirred
Studies show that gambling is increasingly prevalent among those who regularly consume significant amounts of alcohol - with a nod toward a link between binge drinking and gambling. This latter is thought to be the case due to the fact that many gamblers will ‘reward themselves’ with a drink when they score a gambling win - however big or small. It’s not difficult to see why there exists a link between gambling and drinking as both are primarily social activities, particularly among young males, however, the party may be coming to an end as regulators look more and more closely at gambling institutions and the consumption of alcohol within them.
Time, ladies and gentlemen
When it comes to gambling and alcohol, the UK has some fairly strict rules and, while you may enjoy a tipple or two while gambling in a casino to your heart’s content, pubs are subject to slightly different rules. These rules center mainly around bookmaking - placing bets on sporting events and can become a little complicated. A pub customer may watch a sporting event in a pub and place a bet as long as they are using their own personal account or app or, they fill out a betting slip and physically take it to the bookmaker themselves (in many cases, a betting shop will be conveniently close to a pub.
It is, however, illegal for a pub landlord or member of staff to call a bet through to a bookmaker on behalf of a customer. Similarly, bookmakers are not permitted to ‘set up shop’ within a pub in order to take bets from customers. These activities are prohibited as, in order to be able to take bets, a premises must hold an ancillary remote or full remote license for gambling. While, in the past, police and authorities may have turned a blind eye to gambling activities in pubs, this is no longer the case and, in fact, recently a Cumbria pub landlord was fined £4500 plus £625 in costs after being caught recording horse racing bets for his customers - officially known as ‘aiding and abetting the use of premises to provide facilities for betting when no appropriate license is in force’.
The reel thing
You will, of course, have noticed that many UK pubs feature slot machines, also known as fruit machines due to the fact that many of the graphics are fruit related. Operating these machines in pubs is permitted as long as the proprietor has the appropriate license and adheres to the provider’s guidelines. Similarly, games of Bingo are allowed in pubs provided that cash prizes are kept to a minimum level dictated by the government.
Conclusion
While gambling and alcohol may not be considered a match made in Heaven, you’re unlikely to witness many casino high rollers sipping a cup of tea as they place their bets. Through the decades, the glamor and glitz of casino life has been synonymous with sophisticated and trendy alcoholic drinks and, while casinos now monitor drinking more closely, there’s no sign of any new legislation for casinos in the near future.
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