Nice one. That's an amazing win
Hopefully none of those young people fall down the gambling rabbit hole based on this big win.
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My son studies at the Uni in Utrecht. And Dutch universities have all sorts of sportclubs for students. Soccer is one of them. The USV Hercules. That team's members are students, more interested in the 'third half' at the bar, after the game than playing matches. Their results are, well, lousy.
Until last Thursday. With great effects after the match.
The USV played against Ajax Amsterdam for the Dutch version of the FA Cup. And won! 3-2. A midfielder of the team lives in a student house with 6 or 7 other students and for the fun of it, they'd placed online bets: winner, goals in the first and second half. At the bookies: 1:1001, 1:751 etc. (My son lives in another house and didn't place bets...). One of the boys used 15 euros to gamble and made 11,000 euros! But the biggest winner is the 'house'. Most student houses have a 'cookie jar' with money for beer, more beer and pizzas. They'd placed 100 euros from the 'jar' at the bookies @ 1:751 (wrong end result of the game, not the 1:1001 odds). Let's say they can have a nice holiday together!
My son started sending me WhatsApp messages with: "They won 11,000 and the house 75,000". I didn't get it at first. But when it hit the national news...
Nice one. That's an amazing win
Hopefully none of those young people fall down the gambling rabbit hole based on this big win.
Sent from my M2101K6G using Tapatalk
Last edited by xxnick1975; 23rd December 2023 at 10:30.
Worst thing that can happen to young gamblers is a big early win.
The sentiments echoed about 'young lads' and 'large win' is something we (my wife and I) discussed as well. Honestly, we're glad my that my oldest isn't one of the winners... My son knows those winners in an informal way. Not real close friends and the winners are in Law School and my oldest in Economics. They don't share a class and even the Mensae (as the Uni restaurants are called here) for both faculties are far apart, so they're not having lunch etc together (according to my wife who went to the same Uni when she was young a little younger.
Last edited by thieuster; 23rd December 2023 at 11:05.
If this has hit the news, I wonder what view will be taken on it by the footballing authorities. I know you said that ‘the house’ put bets on but it sounds like one of the players was also involved with his room mates.
That, I believe, would be against the rules… and if the authorities get wind of a player being involved in betting on football matches, there could be some serious repercussions.
Hope common sense prevails though.
That crossed my mind as well. But when the lad hasn't placed a bet on his own game? Does that count? And in most cases it's about a rigged game when they've lost, or when a goalie 'dives over the ball', etc. In so many words: did the bets influence the outcome of the game? I guess that the KNVB (Dutch FA) will look / will have looked into that.
Last edited by thieuster; 23rd December 2023 at 11:49.
Players / officials are not meant to bet on any football matches whether they are playing or not. They can bet on other sports, but not football.
And there have been instances where players have been caught using accounts that were in other peoples names.
Even club staff are meant to fall under the same rules (even academy staff).
I can see your p.o.v. and it's a reasonable way of looking at things. I suppose (not based on sources) that the Dutch FA looks into this situation, given the high exposure of the whole situation. Until now, no-one mentioned any 'foul play' (or how should that be called in this case). But let's see and wait what happens in the near future.
Good grief there's some miserable posters on here sucking the fun out of what was a piece of good fortune. I'll bet the OP wishes he hadn't bothered posting.
I’ll tell you what is a real mood hoover is having a gambling addict in the family, just as damaging as a drug addict.
The reason this is in the media is because the bookies put it there, they love a big win on long odds … Helps suck in a new cohort of mugs to feed their profits. Gambling can destroy lives.
He’s a miserable morning for you try working your way round local jewellers and pawnshops trying to find which one of them has bought in an engagement ring that has gone “missing” … and when you do eventually find the shop it was bought in for peanuts and was melted down yesterday … gambling makes people do awful things.
Last edited by Montello; 23rd December 2023 at 14:23.
Clearly this has touched a nerve for you and a gambling addiction is as bad as any other other addiction. In some respects it’s worse because it can be so easily hidden.
That said, alcohol addiction can be equally damaging and you know how students like a drink.
Let them enjoy their win for what it is and give them the benefit of the doubt that this will not lead to an addiction as they get older; they are probably like the vast majority of people who manage to get by in life having the odd drink and occasional flutter whithout harming themselves or any one around them.
Aye it has … was an awful phase of life. The person has passed away now.
Gambling can do untold damage and there is a reason that bookies are concentrated in the the poorest areas.
Their self-exclusion policies are a joke. I’m surprised the gambling corporations get away with how they trade.
True, and it sounds like you've faced the hard realities of someone close being addicted to gambling and I expect that was very hard. I have also experienced seeing loved ones destroy themselves through addiction, it was alcohol with one close family member (deceased because of it), and prescription drugs with another (also deceased because of that). Always a tragedy for all concerned, but where do you draw the line to protect people from themselves?
Thank you and no I couldn't. Massive difference is no harm has come to these lads. Quite the opposite in fact, and it's pretty likely but by no means certain that none will. That's just me being both an optimist and a realist at the same time. I find that generally works for me.
So what? But merry Christmas to you too.
For what it’s worth… my own comment on this (regarding whether the football authorities would feel it worthy of investigating), was made from a genuine interest… nothing to do with trying to ‘hoover fun’ out of the thread.
Having worked in the football industry, I’m very aware that gambling takes place on matches… certainly by junior staff, even though the rules are clear.
I’m not adverse to a little flutter myself (which I’m now free to do having retired from employment within a club environment). Like I also said, hopefully common sense would prevail if it was investigated (although I think common sense and UEFA don’t tend to go hand in hand).
Someone may see that as killing the mood.. I see it as discussion.
Whatever the (very valid) discussion on betting etc what a fantastic win for USV over Ajax!
Cheers,
Neil.
I watched the highlights, they were great, their second goal wouldn't have looked out of place in the premier league.
What I meant was we don’t see the media reporting that 10 students got off their heads on beer and had a jolly good time so I’m not sure why we report a lucky gambler.
Most gambling revenue comes from people who can least afford to lose.
That item has been placed in the news to encourage more people to gamble. Imagine if drinks companies did that.
I think the bookmakers should be subject to the same advertising rules as cigarette companies.
Anyway let’s move on.
Addiction is awful, moderation is fine.
Last edited by Montello; 23rd December 2023 at 19:41.