Joe Duffy sits on a high horse... but he isn't wrong about Cash Machine gambling
I wouldn't say I have a particularly large circle of friends and family, but I have yet to meet a person who hasn't entered the Cash Machine radio competition, or at least considered it.
Run across several Bauer Media owned stations including Today FM and Newstalk, Cash Machine has exploded in popularity over the past few years. And how could it not? Every week, someone wins a large sum of money - sometimes an extraordinarily large sum of money - and all they have to do is jot down the cash amount on offer, send a €2.50 text, and parrot it back if they're lucky enough to be called by the station.
It's easy, it's cheap, and it sparks hope in people. But it's also gambling.
It's something that was recently pointed out by RTÉ Liveline presenter, Joe Duffy, who slammed the competition on his X (formerly Twitter) page before promptly deleting the posts.
According to the Business Post, Duffy claimed the contest "fulfils all the criteria of 'gambling'".
In his post, he reportedly asked: "What are the odds? How many entries? If you claim to have given away €5 million in prizes – how much was 'gambled'?"
In a separate post, he went on to say that people know the odds of winning the Lotto. "All published," he said. "Has Coimisiún na Meán a position on this? It fulfils all the criteria for 'gambling'."
Although some social media users didn't appreciate Duffy's criticism - he's now RTÉ's highest paid presenter following Ryan Tubridy's exit - I thought he made a valid point.
Many of us might hear the word 'gambling' and think of shady back rooms filled with dodgy characters holding poker hands, or cursing old men in leather bomber jackets staring at screens in the local bookies, but more often than not the reality is much closer to home.
It's the young man with a pint in his hand at the Galway Races, or your sister playing the fruit machines at the local pub. It's your friend placing bets on his favourite Premier League team, or your mother glued to the colourful casino app incessantly chiming on her phone.
Playing games of chance for money is always gambling, whatever it's dressed up as. And the Cash Machine is no different... but it feels like it is.
The competition was recently discussed on the popular Reddit Ireland forum, with one person brutally calling it "a stupid person tax".
I've entered the Cash Machine dozens of times, but I don't make a habit of thinking of myself as stupid. Life in general drags down my self-confidence enough as it is. In saying that, I've often made silly decisions money-wise, usually when I'm feeling particularly down or particularly optimistic. And because entering the Cash Machine is so cheap, it doesn't feel like that much of a risk.
You can't even get a cup of coffee for the price of €2.50, but you could potentially change your life. Your financial woes could disappear overnight. You could pay off your mortgage. You could upgrade your car or take the kids to Disneyland. For most people, stupid or otherwise, that chance is worth much more than half the price of an iced latte.
There's something about listening to Cash Machine live that makes it seem different to the Lotto, which - probably because there are so many players - feels like an impossibility, a needle in a haystack type of situation. But with Cash Machine, it feels like it could actually be you.
When the winner answers the call after five rings, you can verify they're a real live person and, most importantly, you can imagine yourself in their shoes. Unlike Mr Duffy, they're just an average Joe, you're just an average Joe... it could easily be you next.
It's a difficult thought to quash, particularly if your financial situation is less than ideal.
Thankfully, I'm not in a situation where money is a huge worry. I've entered Cash Machine because, although I'm doing well, I'd love to go to Jamaica, or Japan, or some other far away country which costs a small fortune to visit. I'd also like to finish my home renovation without worrying about loan interest rates. We all have our reasons for taking a chance.
But in all the times I've entered, I've never felt like I'm gambling. The thought has just never entered my mind; in fact, I've often thought of it more like an investment.
I'll submit my entry for €2.50 thinking I've got a great chance of winning (because how many people can possibly be entering anyway?) and I'll then receive a confirmation text. Great. But it doesn't stop there; the text informs me I can 'unlock' yet more entries, and for a bargain price too. For just another €2.50 I can add two more entries for the price of one. A bargain, I think, ignoring the fact that the amount of money I'm willing to part with has just doubled.
People all over the country have this same thought process. You tell yourself it's harmless, a wee dopamine hit, something the whole nation is in on. Something anyone can win.
And when you don't get that magic, life-changing call and a rock of disappointment sinks into your belly, you tell yourself you'll get it next time. And you submit again. You don't scroll up to see the dozens of other entries which lead nowhere, you just keep going. Because next time it's your time. Surely.
The thing is, there's no avoiding Cash Machine. It's advertised so often and on so many stations I get an immediate mood boost every time I hear the telltale jingle of coins. I even once thought about getting a small note pad with a sticky back and attaching it to my dashboard so I can easily record the new cash amount. I never actually did this, but it's one of those things I added to a mental to-do list that just never got done, like replacing the long stale air freshener hanging off my rear mirror.
My procrastination regarding non-essential tasks did me a favour in this case.
Although Duffy has a point, and he's provoked an interesting discussion on what's perceived to be gambling and what's not, he doesn't direct his critical energy towards his employer, RTÉ, which has an entire website section dedicated to the Lotto. The broadcaster also regularly hosts competitions where listeners or viewers are required to text in at a cost of approximately €2.
If risking your cash on something like poker - which actually requires skill - is gambling, why not something that requires no skill at all, like answering a quiz question that's easy to Google or remembering a cash amount?
Gambling can be much quieter than its loudest stereotypes, and although I don't think chance competitions like Cash Machine are a major problem for everyone, they certainly are for those who already struggle with gambling addiction, and for those whose addiction has yet to devolve from €2.50 texts to something much riskier.
If you or a loved one struggles with gambling addiction, contact Gambling Care on 1800 936 725.
