To work or not to work

[redlinesman]

Shall I take the job or Shall I stick with the bandits?

This is a question that always crops up now and then for many a fruit machine player. Ever since I've been involved in fruit machines people have always said things like 'they'll be finished in a year' and 'this won't last much longer' This was going back 10 years ago and as it happens, things have steadily just got better and better. There does come the odd time when there doesn't seem much to play, but this rarely lasts very long. AWP's have just grew and grew in the new millenium, with pubs now having as many as 4 bandits on a site and in the last few years they have been more popular than ever, with the introduction of note changers and increased jackpots. Statistics often state that business's say they don't make much money from AWP's, so why do they have them in when theres other alternatives? They could always fill the pubs with arcade machines, pinballs or itbox's. Ideally pubs would love to have club machines or betting terminals on their premesis but as long as pubs remain a big part of British culture, the government would never let it happen, purely for moral reasons. No matter who says the gambling laws are changing and so on, AWP's will remain on liscenced premesis in the forseeable future, whether it be in the form they are now or digital. Players seem to be scared of the industry turning digital, but it won't make that much difference, apart from cheats and faults can be corrected quicker. Being a player that doesn't rely on emptiers and cheats for my bread and butter, it will have little effect on me, as it won't with many players.

Now back to the question, shall I take the job? Even though I have mentioned things in a positive light above, there can can be little doubt that over the past 6 months there has been a slight downturn. Bookies have all but gone and the smoking ban has effected pub trade. However. these factors don't seem to have hit me in the pocket, and I for one am still turning over the same money as before. Personally, I wouldn't quit this game at the momment unless I had a really bright interesting career to turn to, which also paid very very well. Im 28, so at this stage of my life, fruit machines are a very attractive proposition even though its reasonably hard work at times. I say its hard work, but I say this being naturally laid back and some would describe me as a lazy person (I hate getting up early and do things at my own pace) Someone used to real hard work may find it a bit easier, but theres no doubt there is a bit of mental stress to deal with. In the future I would probably like to something else, something more challenging and maybe do something that those close to me could be really proud of.


To the guy asking if he should take the job, I would say if your a fairly decent tuned up player, who can manage a bit of stress without cracking and doesn't have any gambling issues (i'd say 80% of players suffer these factors in various degrees), you'd be mad to pack in playing full time. The money is simply too good, even if your only doing 9-5 most days and if you chuck in weekend nights you should make more in a week what you would in a month off an average job. As Im saying this there'll be small-minded readers of this post thinking 'he's giving the game away' and 'everybodys going to be at it now' but Im just stating a true fact and this game isn't as easy as just going out and playing a few bandits. You've got to be made of fairly solid stuff to be successful at this game and not a great percentage of players have that. Bit of a long post, I know, but been indoors all day with a stomach bug and nothing better to do.

[darren]

You dont know the meaning of lazy.

I sleep to 4/6 daily and the proposition of playing a skill shootin raiders completely bores me.

Being in bed to that kind of time means a LOT of wasted money on hotels in the profotable (but only of you know how) out of city locations, and TBH no one will know how. If anyones coming to do the changers im the one to talk too.

[pokerpete]

if anybody playing for a living ever moans about the health service, schools, tax, petrol prices, pension, or any other matter that they don't pay anything towards, they should reconsider and keep their opinions to themselves.

get a job and contribute to society, in a normal healthy way. You can still suppliment your income with your playing, but you're not leeching on society at the same time.

As for people who play "proffessionally" and sign on, below contempt.

[Guest]

take the job fella...i recently took a job massaging baby oil onto lapdancers fake tatz...beats the fruits hands down

[Stevie S]

take the job fella...i recently took a job massaging baby oil onto lapdancers fake tatz...beats the fruits hands down

get me an application please budy.

[Guest]

...only vacancy is a dip and sniff analyst...

[anfield road]

Carry on playing as long as you can! I dont really want to work atm because I am not very clever at all and did not do as well as expected in school!.

But, they say everyone is good at something and well here it is playing bandits, its fun, I choose me own hours etc and although i dont contribute to society I aint reallly that arsed!, all its going to do is buy some immigrant or a pole or some foreignor a new house!

[PMK]

I dont claim/sign on and I NEVER have but as someone who uses a stupid amount of petrol I feel I have the right to moan about the cost of it. However as for the standard 'working class' people of which I was one for 10 years +, who work 40 hours, pay tax, then pay yet more tax to put there car on the road, then pay yet more tax to run it, then pay yet more tax to insure it and then have to pay to drive around certain areas, I feel even more sorry for.

However, just because I dont pay initial tax on my primary source of earnings it doesn't mean I am leaching on society does it?

The problem with some people and I am not saying you, is that full time players are perceived as lazy arrogant dickheads that dont get out of bed until 3pm, claim off the dole and get their rent paid for them by the likes of the good honest tax payers.

I can assure you this is not the case, and as I said before, I pay as much tax as everybody else with just the exception of initial income.

[Istenem]

i'd suggest that you are on pretty iffy ground in this argument about tax

[PMK]

Not really, it just annoys me when I get accused of leaching on society/living off the state etc etc. When I have never claimed a single thing or been (in my opinion) rewarded with a single thing back for my 10 years hard labour before hand!!

Yes I dont pay tax on my earnings, but on the other hand I more than make up for that with the fact that I do about £500 a month on fuel of which 70% goes to the government anyway. In my opinion that makes up for the tax I would be paying if I sat in an office for 40 hours earning £6 an hour.

People who make a living buying and selling whether on e-bay, boot sales or on the stock/trade market are not accused of leaching on society and neither should I be. I'm sure if the working population was asked if they could do the same then they would, thankfully not everyone has the ability to do so.

[Stevie S]

Not really, it just annoys me when I get accused of leaching on society/living off the state etc etc. When I have never claimed a single thing or been (in my opinion) rewarded with a single thing back for my 10 years hard labour before hand!!

Yes I dont pay tax on my earnings, but on the other hand I more than make up for that with the fact that I do about £500 a month on fuel of which 70% goes to the government anyway. In my opinion that makes up for the tax I would be paying if I sat in an office for 40 hours earning £6 an hour.

People who make a living buying and selling whether on e-bay, boot sales or on the stock/trade market are not accused of leaching on society and neither should I be. I'm sure if the working population was asked if they could do the same then they would, thankfully not everyone has the ability to do so.

whether or not you have claimed or will claim doesnt make a difference. At the end of the day you could lose everything or be really crap and keep on losing money, no one would give a crap then. The fact you do win and make money off them is great, your not leaching f**k all from anything for the simple fact you could always lose. Anyone who were to say that you were (leaching) is just plain jealous.

Personally i dont think you or anyone else should ever need to defend yourselfs on this topic.

And i dont give a crap what anyone says, if i were a full time fruitmachine player and was making a nice bit of cash each week i would be claiming the rock and roll aswell as playing the fruits.

[RUDE]

Hmmmm...

Some interesting points raised (some less interesting but they shall be ignored).

I, personally, choose the working option. This isn't because of some superiority "I'm paying tax and am a decent human-being" complex. I have done both so feel I'm in quite a good place to comment.

These, as I've probably said a million times before, are the reasons I find working a better option:

- You don't need to rely on fruits for your income so if you have a bad day (which even the best players do occasionally) it doesn't matter.

- You get to meet more people than you would otherwise and get some social benefits.

- You have a good answer when people ask you what you do for a living

- When fruits become un-profitable (when is a different topic entirely) you'll still have a constant source of income AND no great hole in your CV.

- Weekends regain their meaning. I know work sucks but you can't beat that Friday 'I've finished for the week' feeling.

- It helps reduce boredom and gives you a good reason to get out of bed.



Obviously there are the downsides like the early starts but you are getting paid I suppose!

I really enjoy playing fruits and will continue to do so but I enjoy them more now as (a) I don't play as much (b) I don't have to worry about losing and (c) I treat is a recreational thing, having a few beers etc.

Now the point about tax, I see what PMK is saying and, having known him for many years I KNOW that he has, like myself, never taken a penny from this government.

If you'd asked my opinion years ago, I'd have said that everyone should work and contribute to society.

In this day-and-age, however, my opinion has changed somewhat. When the government rob you in every way they can. When they give 30%+ of your hard-earned money to fucking lazy, immigrant, single-parent, teenage, council-house dwelling, work-shy, dole-scrounging, 'too ill to work', breeding-for-a-living, chavvy, leaching scum* then I say bollocks! If you can get away without working then go for it (but remember that it may not last forever).

If, however (as someone has said already), you claim JSA, DLA, HB, CTC's etc AND you play professionaly then, in my opinion, you are the lowest of the low.

Just my opinions though.

P


*this has been a party political broadcast bought to you by the BNP (lol)

[redlinesman]

Its ridiculous to say that a good reason to get a job - instead of being a full time player, is so you can contribute to society. When your first starting out in life the most important things are making some decent money and enjoying what you do, as long as your doing no harm and its legal. Most people couldn't care less about contribuiting to society and their sole purpose of working is simply to earn money. One of the major benefits of playing fruits for a living is a tax free income, just like if you trade on the sports markets or playing poker etc. The country will look after itself, so bandit players and others alike, should not carry any weight on their shoulders. However, I do strongly disagree with claiming job seekers allowance if your making a living from fruits or poker.

[RUDE]

I agree, and you'll note than none of my 'reasons to get a job' involved contributing to society.

Maybe years ago they would have done. I now dislike 'society' so much that I'd rather burn the money than contribute (sadly with PAYE you don't get a choice!)

Sorry...just realised this a fruit forum, not a political one

[Stevie S]

If, however (as someone has said already), you claim JSA, DLA, HB, CTC's etc AND you play professionaly then, in my opinion, you are the lowest of the low.

Bullshit. Selling crack cocaine is the lowest of the low.