Gambling

I love this cartoon:

I am vehemently opposed to gambling. As a mathematician, I know from the Central Limit Theorem of Probability: "The more you gamble, the more you will lose." This is because anyone who offers a gambling opportunity("the house") knows the odds are in their favor. Those fantastic establishments built in the desert of Las Vegas are built on the loses of losers and nothing else. There maybe "streaks" that defy the Central Limit Theorem but the limit behavior is clear. To think that you can win against the house is sign of a weak mind.

In Taiwan, gambling on games of chance is legal. For example, pull boards at the night markets. You pay a fee to pull a piece a paper to see if you are a winner. At the end of the day do you think "the house" is a loser?

This is like the Catholic Church's version of bingo. God helps those that lose to the church. A real loser is assured a place in Heaven for doing the Lord's work.

But in Taiwan, with unmonitored Internet access, gambling is just a click away. In a culture where money is #1, lots of people are caught up in the quest for the "big score". That this is a losing position should be part of any education.

But, for me, the most insidious efforts, are those of governments that legalize gambling. I think legislators that are unwilling to raise taxes are willing to declare gambling a "sin" and all sin taxes are defensible. I guess, if being stupid is a sin then gambling really is a sin. If the sin only effected the sinner I would have no problem, but we all know that the gambling of the "sinners" effects their children, their relatives, their friends, ... But for politicians, dividing the electorate is part of the game.

Gambling is legal in Taiwan with government sponsored lotteries and sports betting on baseball games, ...

Gambling on baseball games in Taiwan has lead to several prosecutions where baseball players have been paid to throw games by Taiwanese gangsters. Gambling effects are pernicious.

But in Taiwan, wagering on games of skill is NOT legal. So playing MahJhong, Poker(and variants) and XiangQi(Chinese Chess) for money is NOT legal. To gamble legally you have to be as stupid as your fellow players. All sinners must be equally stupid.

But I must admit. I do like the excitement of winning. In the March-April receipt lottery I won 200NT (~6-7US$).

I also like gambling when I go into a Taiwanese restaurant and order from the Chinese menu. Some dishes have names that are archaic or flowery so it's a gamble what happens. Sometimes, I close my eyes and just point, luckily I not a picky eater.