Letters - December 3, 2018

Gambling laws in this country are strict and will be stricter when the FOBT (fixed odds betting terminal) law comes into force next year.

Unfortunately the law in relation to the National Lottery and scratch cards, the nation’s favourite gambling games, are lax compared to betting shops, casinos etc.

If you are 17 years and 364 days old, you cannot enter a betting shop and place a bet.

If you are 16 years and one day old, you can enter a shop and buy as many scratch cards as you wish.

Not only are people becoming addicted to scratch card gambling, but it could be said they are being ‘conned’ in believing they could win a massive prize.

If you buy a scratchcard believing you could win the jackpot prize advertised on the card, you could be mistaken.

That prize could have been won by a person who purchased a card just before you, therefore you have no chance of winning the jackpot prize.

If you tried to place a bet on a horse that couldn’t win the race, because it was a non-runner, the bookie would not accept your transaction.

Not so with scratchcards.

The National Lottery takes your transaction, even though you may not be able to win the major prize.

Just remember, when you buy a scratchcard, the major prize could have been won.

Bernard Darbyshire

via email

SOCIETY

Start a TV charity appeal for elderly

I think we should have a national charity appeal on TV to fund our poor elderly who are unable to care for themselves.

It’s a disgrace when Churchill’s heroes fought for a better tomorrow for our once Great Britain.

Robert Holman

Address supplied

SOCIETY

Let’s turn off our mobile phones!

We had the ‘Just Say No’ campaign against drugs, so why not have ‘Just Switch Off’ for mobile phones?

From celebrities to 11-year-olds, people are bullied online.

If you insist on putting your life on display, anyone with an opinion will jump on the bandwagon.

Morons who feel bad about themselves like to put others down.

There is no point in blaming the internet giants for not stopping this problem.

How many people have walked around any town or city in the UK and have had to move out the way when they see a person using a mobile phone?

Sometimes they are in another world glued to their mobiles.

One day, I stopped once and I was bumped into four times by people, totally unaware of their surroundings.

They say sorry then just carry on glued to their phones.

The solution is in your hands – it’s called the ‘Off Button’.

Scott Andrews

Address supplied

BREXIT

Don’t dismiss the experts so easily

Few people would seek an opinion on a serious health issue from medical experts, only to deride that opinion as Project Fear if it did not fit in exactly with what they wanted to hear.

Yet the opinions of expert economists, on the effects of Brexit, are not discussed in an intelligent fashion but simply dismissed as scare mongering by self serving politicians.

When the dust settles after Brexit, these MPs will follow Cameron and Farage into the sunset leaving their less fortunate constituents to suffer the realities of rising prices, job losses and medicine shortages.

Phil Cray

Address supplied

TELEVISION

An affront to 
our pensioners

Is there no end to the BBC’s whingeing about licences?

Now it wants to withdraw the free TV licence for pensioners aged over 75. This from the behemoth that pays huge salaries to the likes of Gary Lineker and other so-called stars.

What an affront to people who struggle on the state pension.

Just getting rid of Lineker would pay for thousands of licences for the elderly.

Harry Brooke

Address supplied