Thursday 3 September 2009

Pokies

I rarely ever play the pokies, and even then it's just popping like $2 in to kill five minutes or something.... last night was one of those rare moments during the break between sets at the pub, where I slipped in a $1 coin [oh I know, such an outrageously loud gambler!], and won the biggest jackpot as a result! I broke the bank! I was absolutely rolling in it afterwards!

I won $3!!!

The $2 clear profit I made as a result bought me some bread and milk on the way home afterwards! hahahahaaa

Pokies are an institution here in this state, being in practically every pub and club and licensed premesis. I think the odds are just stoopid, as the premesis makes like an 70%+ return on every machine. But people seem to keep coming back again and again to throw their money away on the stoopid pokies.

When my parents used to run a very small licensed club in Sydney back in the 1970's, the 16 pokies there literally paid for everything year after year, wages, insurance etc etc. I think it was 80-cents in the dollar the club made as revenue out of each pokie - and that wasn't 'rigged' or anything. That's just the odds. Needless to say, I'm sure that's why the Govt allows pokies almost everywhere here, because there's so much money to be made as revenue out of silly people who mindlessly pour their money down the bottomless funnel of a pokie somewhere. Madness.
"Revenue from gaming machines in pubs and clubs accounts for more than half of the $4 billion in gambling revenue collected by state governments in 2002-2003." (Source)
I know I've played some gigs in certain clubs in Sydney, where one person would literally sit in front of one machine all night, and do nothing but pull the handle for an hour, then go to the loo, get another drink, and repeat the process ad finitum. It was hilarious to watch, but also really sad and pathetic to watch as well. They never won anything, but just kept playing thru their drops and going on and on and on.

It happens everywhere, tho, which is a really sad state of affairs.

I think the biggest drop I've ever won on a pokie has been $20, and that was like 25 years ago. But the whole 'pokie' thing has never been part of my scene at all.
Peas be with ewe
Cyalayta,
Mal :)

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4 comments:

  1. Well I never cared for them, but Phill likes to have a flutter so we do that together sometimes when we go to the club. We've had some pretty good wins if I can talk him into quitting while we're ahead! But it is a dangerous habit, I've heard of people losing their farms etc because of poker machine addiction.
    I don't mind playing here, because our club gives so much back to the community, and the drinks and food are cheap (because of the silly buggers who put their wages through the machines!)
    But I am not a gambler at all, don't even buy lottery tickets unless it's a gift pack, which makes an easy and easy to post present.

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  2. Yup, boring as "Sh&t" I reckon, playing those machines. One time I needed an ATM machine and the only one about the place was in a pokie room. As I walked over to the ATM with a friend I said out loud, "Oh, well, I will just have to use the bread and butter money today"..shouldve seen the faces on the people at the machines. Imagine that, wasting money that would be needed to feed your family!

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  3. yay!!! at least you walked away with a profit!!!

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  4. Not lucky that way either - couldn't be bothered although i have at times when on my way out just dug in the bottom of my hand bag for a few dollar coins - once they are gone i am off...

    I do know someone who deserved to...and needed it big time win the $100,000 jackpot $2 lottery TWICE years apart - and he only took the odd ticket.

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