Slot machines have been described as the 'crack cocaine' of gambling (Image: Rowan Griffiths) 'Reducing the maximum stake to £2 a spin would reduce the harm FOBTs cause, as it would prevent users staking up beyond their means. 'So there would be less need for self exclusion if FOBTs were capped at £2 a spin as far fewer users would get addicted.' For many years, Black Jack was my game of choice. Then one night in the mid '90s, I had a dream that I put $20 in a slot machine and won a huge jackpot. Shortly after that dream, I went to the casino, put $20 in the slot machine and won $15,000. From that point on, I switched almost exclusively to slot machines.
Do you like scary stories?
If you like horror stories and take every opportunity to tickle your nerves and get that adrenaline rush, you'll love the Blood Suckers slot machine from Net Entertainment software. It's a perfect balance of a dark gloomy gothic atmosphere with the incredible thrill of the casino gambling. And the name speaks for itself – there will be vampires, lots of them. So if it's your cup of tea, make sure to read on!
Send a chill down your spine
The main character of this online casino game, is, of course, the legendary Count Dracula, the most well-known vampire of all. The dark caged atmosphere of a medieval castle, the realistic images and, of course, the blood-chilling sound effects – the developers at NetEnt have really done their best on this one! You can even play this videoslot for free, but if you place a bet, the adrenaline levels are bound to go through the roof! It isn't just a well-done spooky show, it's a really profitable fruit machine with bonuses, free spins and other perks to help you get the jackpot.
Slots are like arcade games when it comes to the sheer variety of genres available. There are game styles and themes that suit just about every mood out there. Some slot games are quirky, others more serious, and some are downright scary. Scary games are generally called Horror Slots, due to the unnerving nature of the game. Another NetEnt slot that horror enthusiasts are sure to love is Blood Suckers, an atmospheric game themed on the legendary world of vampires. This unsettling slot is a modern classic due to the huge interest in the vampire theme spreading across films. A feast is on its way for all you horror fans out there, for Novomatic has created the 5 reels of Spooky House, a slot machine that pays homage to the ghost tales of old. You can expect creepy goings on, but presented in a much more friendly and less blood curdling way to what other brands produce.
I am sure anyone reading this knows exactly how disgraceful a lot of companies in the online gambling industry are with regards to not only self exclusions but also the hard core spamming and pestering addicts to come back and play. The worst thing is that most of these companies do not even remove players from their mailing lists when they self exclude due to problem gambling. Some go so far as to mail from supposedly separate companies and bypass the self exclusions this way. Here is one such gambling addicts story:
Justyn Larcombe, 47, from Kent, tells how free bets kept luring him back while trying to break his addiction
Gambling was an escape for me. It was a place I would go to when reality was too hard to bear. Reality was especially hard when I had lost a lot of money. I thought I could win it all back and it would all be OK.
I was addicted to the release of endorphins you get when you spend money you cannot afford but I was also addicted to the physical act of placing a bet.
As an addict, I self-excluded a few times from websites but then I would move house and sign up again with a new address. I would get an email from another site saying here is a £50 free bet, and I convinced myself that wasn't really gambling as it was free, so offers like that would lure me back in.
I would get into a pattern of self-excluding and then signing up again. It would have been so much easier if, when you self-excluded, you were just automatically blocked from all websites and there was no way back in. If there's a loophole then it's easy to take advantage of it.
I know some websites are also notoriously bad for not cracking down when people have self-excluded, so they will take some time to respond. Sometimes people can sign up again with just one digit different in their email, using the same name. It's also really hard to self-exclude – they ask, are you sure? It's a tiny little icon on the screen.
It's not just online, high street self-exclusion is just as hard. I know from friends that they [shop employees] don't always make proper checks and sometimes turnover of staff means people fall through the cracks.
Slot Machine Horror Stories
I am no longer gambling but when I did it took over my life. It's important that people have a way to get out and companies should help those who are addicted.
Testimonies About Gambling Addiction
Testimonies About Gambling Addiction
I didn't gamble until I was 40 and saw an advert for an online £5 free bet which I took. I actually started placing bets because I found out my son had a disability at 11 months old and I think it was my way of coping with that.
Gambling took over my life. I ended up losing my wife, my house and my family. While I am not anti-gambling myself I know I would not place another bet again. I would love to see the industry making more effort to help problem gamblers.
Slot Machine Horror Stories Full
Thanks once again to The Guardian newspaper for publishing this story
