Thread by @JonBryanPoker

Today is the start of #CheltenhamFestival2023
One of my friends has been excitedly posting on social media:
"My Christmas is 1 week away", he said last week.
Here's a thread🧵about the #CheltenhamFestival and the importance of understanding how much some people love it.
1/11

"Happy Cheltenham Eve everybody", a friend of mine said to me & others yesterday. There are some horse racing events punters love - this is one of them. You don't have to bet yourself, or even understand the festival. But some people live for it, so try and appreciate that.
2/11

Almost all of the mainstream discussion about gambling (and the long-awaited White Paper) does not stop to think about the consequences that some regulations might have on the enjoyment that millions get from having a bet. That needs to change.
3/11

One of the proposals to come from the discussion is around the idea of Affordability Checks - limiting your gambling spend to £100 a month unless you are prepared to subject yourself to significant intrusion from gambling companies and/or the government.
4/11

For those who save up their money with the idea of spending a lot at Cheltenham, the idea of monetary control like this would be disastrous, let along a hideosly illiberal idea which we should have no truck with.
More on this from me here 👇
spiked-online.com/2020/08/10/don…
5/11

My email in-box has recently had a few offers of "Free Bets" in it. I'm going to take advantage of them and hope that I end the week in a profit. Some people have argued against these - and argued against any idea of marketing to consumers. I totally oppose that.
6/11

Yes, there will be those who are struggling with gambling and who will want to avoid any mention of Cheltenham & gambling this week. There are lots of ways to do that, and this tweet is just one of many that I have seen which gives good advice.
7/11
👇

https://twitter.com/AndyMargett/status/1635556140040744961

Remember when some people jumped on the "anti-gambling" & "anti-horse racing" waggon, and tried to blame Cheltenham for being a "super-spreader" event? I'm so glad that those idiotic days are behind us, and I wrote about it at the time
8/11
👇
spiked-online.com/2021/03/15/che…

I'm very much looking forward to the #CheltenhamFestival, and I really don't mind if I lose some money. We spend money all the time: sometimes on necessities; sometimes on things that we enjoy doing.
I'll enjoy having a few bets this week and will be hoping for the best🤞

9/11

I've written in more detail about why I oppose the banning of "Free Bets", marketing, sponsorship, and the widely discredited idea of Affordability Checks. You can download my thoughts for free in my 'Letter on Liberty'
👇
10/11

https://twitter.com/JonBryanPoker/status/1577698042995785729?s=20

If you are having a bet this week - Good Luck!

11/11

@threadreaderapp unwrap