No wonder among the recent news from M'sia is a report that 7 well-known VIPs ( who are they as no names mentioned?) have run away to escape from the police raids on illegal betting syndicates. The bookies are raking in millions everyday of this W Cup action.
What about the situation here?
The last World Cup in 2006 saw punters betting to the tune of 1.8 billion Sing dollars! That's only the official figures and no one really knows how much the illegal bookies have taken in. The sum must be HUGE!
Recently, the press highlighted several stories about bookies making use of students particularly from the Polys and JCs to be runners for them. Many of the students interviewed said they make about 3 % of the bets collected ...averaging a few hundred dollars per day. One said he makes about $ 750 daily on average.
Of course...all the things they are doing are highly dangerous! The penalty for illegal betting and worse, for illegal bookie work is VERY SERIOUS!!! Enormous fines and jail sentence await those who are caught and convicted.
Thus to provide the public with an avenue for their obsession with gambling...the govt opened licensed betting shops initially for 4 D , TOTO and horse racing and later added sports betting as we know it today.
This was also meant to prevent the further spreading of illegal betting syndicates most of which are connected to criminals and "protected" by s s and other criminal groups.
Why do people gamble?
Is it in the hope of making "big" money?
Or is it just for the occasional tickle or fun of it all with a tiny, small output?
Those who bet in the hope of making "big" returns are in real DANGEROUS waters.
You will NEVER Win in the final analysis...if you continue to bet everyday, on most games,
and in increasing amount ( doubling, tripling, quadrupling etc..) . It's SHEER MADNESS!
There are countless genuine very sad stories out there told by people who have LOST EVERYTHING...their houses, homes, cars, family, jobs, every single cent they owned, worked so hard to save ...all GONE in the blink of an eye!
Let me tell you a real story that Unk Dicko know personally.
Took place about 6 years ago.
I used to buy fresh fruits from a fruit shop in AMK area. A quiet and pleasant young man of about 30+ by name of "Ah Seng" was working as a stall assistant there. He often chose the fruits for me..papayas, bananas, mangoes, guavas etc.. We got on well. The shop was just next to a Sg Pools outlet.
One Saturday, during the EPL season around February, there was a very long queue of punters at the Pools shop. Most of the punters were discussing loudly about that night's games.
I noticed Ah Seng ignoring all the "big and noisy betting talk". Some betters knew him well too.
Out of the blue, I said to him," Ah Seng...so far I've never seen you buying any 4D, Toto or soccer bets? So good...you don't gamble huh? ".
What he said and the way he replied to me ....I will never, ever forget!
He was literally a "still water runs deep" character! I could never have imagined it.
Pulling a stool for me to sit in and offering me a packet drink...he recounted his unbelievable sorrow and utmost regret over his addiction to gambling, particularly BIG TIME sports betting on the EPL.
Most of such bettors place their bets with illegal bookies because the bookies offer much better returns than Sg Pools. They could also bet by IOU...payable later, something which Pools can never offer. But there will always be a catch somewhere...if you lose.
Ah Seng said he once owned a nice 5 room HDB flat, a nice sports car, had a family and was doing well as a salesman. He had an income, savings and money to spend.
Initially, he bet small to medium amounts...a few hundred dollars per match. Then it was in thousands. When he lost "Big" he tried to recoup by placing even bigger amount on his next bet.
His losses multiplied till he had no more cash and savings to bet on. In fact, he was heavily in debt to the bookies.
With no way out of his self-made darkness, he made the singular, most terrible mistake of his life upto that point...listening to all the euphoria and almost " 100 % certainty of Charlton FC winning the night's match" at very good 1 x 2 odds.... he decided to bet a six figure sum ( the amount equal to the value of his car and house in total ) on just that ONE Match!
If Charlton had won....all his debts would have been cleared in one stroke!
But if Charlton should lose or draw...it would be the beginning of the End for him.
For the sad record...Charlton LOST !
And poor Ah Seng lost everything he had owned to the bookies...his house, car, job, everything...and was eeking out a living as a stall helper just to keep himself alive.
No wonder, he further told me that he will not work there for long as it was too PAINFUL
to be so close to the betting outlet.
And he added....do warn others about how " I came to be like this".
And so My advice to all these young studentsand others out there:
1. Do not bet in the hope of making big money. You'll win some but uncontrolled betting will lead you to be another "Ah Seng or worse.
2. If you do bet, do it for the fun of it. Small amount. Never chase your losses. Let it be..since it's
only a few dollars. Consider it as a contribution back to society.
Since the W Cup started, I have bought just 3 bets for fun.
1st was the S Africa vs France game. I took advantage of the "French revolution" and bet a home team win. I guessed rightly. Just $10.
2nd was the psychic tip from Octopus Paul ( see my previous post ). I took Germany to win.
Just $15....not 15 K !
Paul was spot on!
3rd was Ghana vs USA. Actually I did not plan to buy this for $20.
At the Pools outlet, it was near closing time when I presented my slip for the Ger vs Eng game.
The machine had a technical problem and kept rejecting my betting slip.
Then the Pools lady gave the printer a hard whack and out came this 3rd slip...a remnant bet placed by a previous punter.
This piece of paper was jamming the machine and caused a 5 minute delay. It was a valid bet option.
To help her out, I said "no problemo...I'll buy that! "
All 3 positions were winners.
Did my winnings make me rich like Bill Gates? No.
If I had lost will I be as poor as a church mouse? No.
Will I ever end up like Ah Seng? No.
That's the message I will like to portray for those who indulge in a bet or two.
Do not end up like the majority of bettors who have not only turned their lives upside down but
also end up doing great damage and harm to their own loved ones and family.
Just click on the link below for a sample.
http://news.asiaone.com/News/The%2BNew%2BPaper/Story/A1Story20100628-224281.html
Be responsible. Have control. Have fun.
Cheers!
Unk Dicko
3 comments:
Intersting reading your blog- they’re so many awsome points..helpful for making a soccer prediction...
Thanks Ethan.
Do be careful with the amount though.
Disipline and control is what is lacking or totally absent from 99 % of bettors who LOSE BIG.
Good Luck!
Great! Making cash through online betting seems like an interesting idea, but we should keep positive as well as negative points and aspects in our mind in order to avoid any fraud.
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