A Junket Junkie

As a child I remember junket for what it was; a less than salubrious, congealed substance that masqueraded as dessert. A poor man's custard if you will.

If you have ever eaten a raw oyster then the sensation of it sliding down the throat was somewhat similar, with a markedly different taste and a lot less effect on the libido..

'Junket' in casino terms means something entirely different. A Junket is a organised group of gamblers, which is typically organised by the casino to attract players and this usually mean an increase in high rollers.

So it is not surprising that shares in Genting Singapore have surged 8.6 percent . This past Friday Singapore decided to license two Malaysian junket operators which will see high rollers coming across the Causeway - come to think of it they will probably fly in by private jet.

According to a report in TodayOnline, the licensing authority "does not intend to let junkets dominate the gaming business here and vowed to take a "cautious approach" to ensure criminal activities, which junket operators have been linked with, do not creep into the Republic's casinos."

Mind you, the government has had its hand forced a bit as it would appear illegal junket operations have been in place for a while. A Japanese businessman who is being sued by Marina Bay Sands over a $2 million gambling debt claims that he gained access to their VIP gaming rooms through a Nevada-licensed junket operator. It is not uncommon for illegal operators to get kick-backs from a casino so it is appropriate that Singapore's' Casino Controlling Authority takes a really dim view of such activity.

Now that they have two licensed operators there will be a modicum of control, but I doubt if it will remove the problem of illegal operators entirely.

And lets face it, without the profits from the two casinos (masquerading as 'resorts') the local economy in the global downturn could 'turn to custard'.

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Sweep Me Away

Singapore Sweep

I could never quite understand the attraction of 4D, the officially sanctioned version or the illegal HDB-hawked version. Having 'Big' and Small' versions of the same draw is thoroughly confusing to the uninitiated.

Neither seemed to give great returns and I can but wonder how they are faring with the two casinos mopping up all the Uncles and Aunties' spare change?

In all my time in Singapore I only managed to recoup a couple of dollars; mind you I was rarely tempted to out money down in the first place.  The Singapore Sweepstake lottery also failed to spark my interest with a maximum prize of 2.2. million and odds that made winning almost impossible.

Not that Singapore Pools established in 1968 and who run these lotteries are missing out, as Sport betting is big business. Both football and motor racing attract the punters.  

Singapore Pools reportedly (dated 2006) make $5 billion Singapore dollars per year but are parsimonious when it comes to give back to charities.  In its first 38 years of operation is only gave back $S1.6.billion

We used to see big queues forming at the betting shop on the corner of Alexandra Road and Commonwealth Drive before they pulled the small coffee shop complex down.  The other casualty in this redevelopment was a much patronised noodle stall.

Those who lost their shirt gambling were never too far away from redemption, with both the True Way Presbyterian Church and another religious grouping in Sanctuary House within easy walking distance from the betting shop, although I very much doubt that those afflicted made the association.

The New Zealand Lottery Board this past financial years sold $NZ782.3 million of tickets and made an overall profit of $NZ159 million.  This profit was distributed to New Zealand charities which compares more than favourably with the charitable distribution rate of its Singapore cousin.

As I write the New Zealand Powerball lottery has jack-potted to an impressive $NZ25 million which unlike the Singapore sweep will not be shared by a dozen people when finally struck.  Perchance to dream!

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Don't Say They Weren't Warned

Several months ago I wrote about the consequences of having casinos operating in Singapore.

In today's press comes the story of a business man who chalked up a staggering $26 million loss at Resorts World Sentosa over three days.

Apparently he was playing baccarat at $400,000 a hand and no wonder he lost $18 million in one day alone.

The media stories continue to demonstrate the negative social impact of casinos.  Two days ago a tourist jailed for cheating $100,000 from Marina Bay Sands.  A month before, a married gambler name Ong resorted to robbing homes to feed his habit.

Other headlines in the Straits Times have included in the past couple of months have included:

• Casino cheat gets two years' jail
• Casino chip thief asks judge to explain verdict
• Overstayer runs out of luck at casino 

No one  should be surprised that such headlines exist.  I will be up front and state that I am not anti-casino and enjoy visiting them from time to time, but it is a fact of life that wherever one is built, crime is sure to follow.

When the idea of the Integrated Resorts (casinos) were first touted there was a wave of public dissent in Singapore; to put it simply, the majority did not want them built in the country, knowing full well that the Chinese love to gamble and the impact this passion can have on families and businesses.

And so it has proved to be.  The reported tourist boost needs to be measured against the longer term social consequences of such places and only time will tell if it was wise to build them in Singapore?

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Resorts World Sentosa

Click on the image to view the larger version and then click again

On a whim we decided to visit the Integrated Resort late morning (Resorts World Sentosa) just to compare it to Marina Bay Sands. I had been expecting something as tacky as Genting resort but I have to say that I was very pleasantly surprised.

While we didn't go into the casino nor the theme park it was enjoyable just walking around the property and admiring the architecture and art work.

We did witness the 'miraculous cure' of a wheelchair bound elderly Chinese lady who was pushed to the entrance of the casino by her made. She then positively leapt from her chair and walked unaided into the casino; the lure of mammon a primary motivation!

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Submerged Gambles

One has to feel a bit sorry for the Malaysians.

Last month they discovered to their horror that a couple of their airforce's jet engines had been illegally hocked off to Argentina and this past week comes news of a more recent purchase; a submarine that is unable to submerge.

Not that they are alone in buying dodgy subs from European sources.

A few years ago the Australians purchased some Collins Class submarines. The noise from their operational 'drive shafts' ensured that any enemy would not have to deploy sonar or acoustic monitoring to detect their movement many fathoms distant.

Today is Chinese New Year, our fourth in Singapore since arriving here in 2006. We have a ticket in the $10 million Hong Bao lottery which will be drawn tomorrow, as has the rest of the population. The odds of winning a prize are therefore not great.

With the odds firmly in mind it should also be noted that today signals another milestone in Singapore's gambing history. The first casino at Sentosa opened for business (or 'integrated resort' to mask its real purpose).

Having to front up with $2,000 for an anuual fee to enter it quarantees that we will not be visiting. Compared to Las Vegas where one can enter any number of casinos free and dress down in the process, why would a punter want to pay for the privilege of entering the Singapore version?

If this entry tax was designed to stop the compulsive gamblers amongst the locals and PR's I really cannot see it working. They will simply resort to taking the ferry from Tanah Merah to one of the gambling boats in international waters off Batam (which the 'Aunties' do on a regular basis according to a taxi driver I travelled with recently). The vessel in question is called the Leisure World.

One final comment about Chinese New Year; it is very difficult to find any food places open as most of the hawker stalls are closed.

Even our local Indian stall is closed as the coffee shop proprietor he rents from is Chinese. We had to resort to an Ikea meal of baked chicken after a quarter of hour walk in the mid day heat.