The concept of televised casino gambling is not a new one to the UK. Live roulette games have been a staple of the late night television in the region for some time. Now, the same casinos running the live TV roulette games would like to offer UK gamblers the option to play the slots as well. In an effort to gauge public opinion of the current presence of live roulette on TV, one of the region’s premier online casino authorities, Right Casino Media, conducted a random survey throughout the UK.
The survey was directed towards 1,000 entirely random households, asking each to give their opinion of the live casinos that have already become a staple of late-night television. Voters were given three options; in favor of television gambling, indifference to the presence of TV gambling, or that televised casino gambling should be illegal. The majority voted indifference, coming in at 49%. Another 28% supported the idea of gambling over the television. In a turnout that surprised a lot of folks, only 23% said they think that TV casinos should be made illegal.
The majority of surveyed individuals leaning towards indifference wasn’t much of a shock. The fact is, most UK residents who don’t use the casino channels find them of little consequence; just another channel in an ocean of variegated bliss for the couch-potato masses. One Surrey resident said, “You have the ability to lock channels or certain programs with a passcode nowadays, so it really doesn’t affect me or my children. Plus whenever I’ve seen it on it has been very late at night, if you’re old enough to be up at that time you’re old enough to make your own legal decision.”
An Essex man, who voted in favor of live roulette’s now mainstream appearance on the tube, commented, “I don’t really use the channels myself, although I have a few friends that do. Regardless, the shows are on very late at night and have measures to ensure under 18’s do not sign-up. With today’s economy everyone is struggling, so if the TV channels need to branch out in order to remain open and cater for the masses then I’ll support them.”
For the minority who are opposed to the accessibility of live gambling on television, the response was a little more passionate. A woman from Cumbria made her criticism known. “Gambling isn’t the same as other lowbrow past times, it ruins lives and is destructive, not only for the person involved but their families. There is enough temptation without mainstream television placing dedicated slots just to aid this.”
Right Casino Media’s Director, David Merry, gave a statement regarding on the survey’s results. “We’re fully in support of all the gambling channels on television providing they adhere to a strict code to ensure that only responsible adults can play. The game of live roulette has proved a popular and entertaining pastime, people shouldn’t victimize those who do gamble responsibly due to their own opinion – if you don’t like it then I’d recommend not watching the channel.”
Two major players in the television casino industry are Jackpot247 and SuperCasino, both of which maintain a dedicated Sky Channel, Sky862, along with direct programming on Channel Five (SuperCasino) and ITV1 (Jackpot247). Smart Live Casino can also be found on Sky863.