Report: Majority Of Problem Gamblers Just Chasing The High Of The Paddle Pop "Lick A Prize" Era

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A local gambling addict says he has been chasing the rush of the paddle pop "lick a prize" promotion for the last 18 years.

"Ever since that free paddle pop prize nothing has ever been the same" explained 29-year-old Tyson Popemore.

The "Lick-A-Prize" promotion was a Paddle Pop promotion where the wooden ice cream stick revealed if you had won a prize after finishing the ice cream.

Winning sticks could be redeemed for anything from another free Paddle Pop to larger prizes like toys, bikes, or gaming consoles.

"The rush of not knowing what lay beyond that paddle pop.... It was euphoric" said Tyson.

"Eventually I was buying the paddle pop just for the punt" he added.

Tyson, who now suffers a crippling pokies and sportsbetting addiction, credits the Lick-A-Prize prize promotion with his first taste in the concept of a gamblers rush.

“I still remember the first one I won. I was eight years old and suddenly I had another Paddle Pop in my hand. That kind of power does something to a person.”

Friends say that even though Tyson now spends most evenings rotating between sports betting apps and the pokies, he maintains the modern gambling industry simply fails to recreate the purity of the original experience.

“Back then it was simple” one explained

“You finish the ice cream, check the stick and your whole future is decided in that moment.”

"Nowadays he doesn't even get the rainbow or mud puddle ice cream beforehand"