Gambler's Thread 01 (May 08 - Nov 10)

[winston]

Smart People Don't Play in Casinos... They Own Them By Michael Masterson

Astute businesspeople don't gamble. They take calculated risks when the odds favor success.

Walk through any casino in the wee hours and you will notice how miserable the gamblers look. Even at the high-stakes tables, otherwise successful people will be slumped over, watching their money disappear, one stack of chips at a time.

Long shots are for losers. Invest your money, time, and love into businesses, activities, and people that are likely to give you a positive return.

Source: ETR

[millionairemind]

Dec 16, 2009
28,661 barred from casinos
By Theresa Tan

SOME 28,661 undischarged bankrupts and those on the Government's Public Assistance scheme will be automatically barred from the two upcoming casinos.

This third-party casino exclusion list, released on Wednesday, is the last of three exclusion measures by the National Council on Problem Gambling to prevent gambling addicts from getting into more trouble when the two casinos open next year.

In April, families were allowed to apply to bar their loved ones from the casinos, under the family exclusion orders, if they can show counsellors and a committee appointed by the Council how the gambler's actions have hurt them.

Last month, individuals were given the choice to bar themselves voluntarily under the self-exclusion orders.

So far, 19 gamblers have been issued the family exclusion orders while 56 people have applied to bar themselves voluntarily.

[kennynah]

only 56 people voluntarily barred themselves? let me make it 57

[Musicwhiz]

Hi Winston, not sure where to classify this so I posted it here to highlight the dangers of gambling. A very tragic and sad story.

Dec 23, 2009
Football gambling addict hangs himself
Death of Liverpool fan ruled a suicide; he left a note admitting addiction
By Khushwant Singh

IN THE suicide note to his wife, father and close friends, Mr Teo Kok Hun, 33, confessed his addiction to football gambling.

The 33-year-old driver, also known as Zhang Guohan, admitted that this was the main reason why he was always short of money.

His favourite football team was Liverpool and he was wearing the club's red jersey when he hanged himself in the bathroom of his four-room flat in Tampines on Oct 26.

His 30-year-old wife, a travel agent, found his body at 7.30pm when she returned home from work.

State Coroner Victor Yeo returned a verdict of suicide yesterday.

Strangely, Mr Teo's death came a day after Liverpool defeated archenemy Manchester United, after four successive defeats to other teams.

Staff sergeant Anwar Zainal, the investigating officer, told the court that the couple and their two children - aged four and six - had moved into a new flat in January but were in financial difficulties.

Although Mr Teo's wife and friends described him as a funny and loud person, they told investigators that he had always kept his problems to himself.

His wife was aware that he gambled frequently on football games but could not shed any light on the amounts he wagered.

The last time she spoke to him was at 6.30pm when he told her to buy dinner for herself as he would be eating instant noodles.

When she got home, she was not surprised to find the house in total darkness as her husband had a habit of playing 'hide and seek' when she came back from work, she told police.

The children were then staying with her mother.

She called his cellphone and heard it playing Liverpool's theme song, You'll Never Walk Alone, from the bedroom.

In the master bedroom's toilet, she found his body dangling from a rope tied to the window frame about 2m from the floor.

Replying to questions posed by Senior Station Inspector Abdul Majeed, who is the assisting officer at the enquiry, Sergeant Anwar said that before his death, Mr Teo was cutting down on outings with friends to save money.

However, there was no indication that the football fan was in debt to loan sharks because of his gambling habit, added the sergeant.

According to a study of 350 people treated between 2001 and last year at the National Addictions Management Service, more than one in 10 people with a gambling addiction have suicidal tendencies.

Last year, The Straits Times reported that the English Premier League, of which the Liverpool club is a participant, was the biggest money-spinner for Singapore Pools. Singapore Pools declined to provide exact figures.

[email protected]

Help hotlines

National Council on Problem Gambling: 1800-6-668-668

Sage Counselling Centre: 1800-555-5555

Care Corner Family Service Centre: 1800-353-5800 (Mandarin-speaking)

ComCare: 1800-222-0000

Samaritans of Singapore: 1800-221-4444

[kennynah]

Strangely, Mr Teo's death came a day after Liverpool defeated archenemy Manchester United, after four successive defeats to other teams.

i still remember that game when Lvpool won MU

life is so precious...to be wasted away like this...very unfortunate...and sad...

[millionairemind]

Wah, 29,000 people have been banned before the first die is rolled

Jan 29, 2010
Safeguards to aid gamblers
By Melissa Sim

A SLEW of safeguards were announced by the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) on Friday to help problem gamblers.

There will a voluntary stop-loss service, where patrons can limit their losses before they start gaming. There are also limits on credit facilities.

Singaporeans and permanent residents will not be allowed to use credit or debit cards in the casino.

Only cash will be accepted, and since there are no ATMs in the casino, patrons will have to get out of the casino to load up their pockets. This will give them a chance to think about the money they are spending, said the NCPG.

Information on problem gambling will also be prominently displayed in the Casino and staff will be trained to detect and deal with problem gambling cases.

This is on top of the entry levy for Permanent Residents and Singaporeans and the exclusion orders.

So far, about 29,000 have been banned from the casinos.

[Aspellian]

Wah, 29,000 people have been banned before the first die is rolled

probably much more in future...

personally i will just go to the theme park. not fascinated with casino. (didnt go when i was in Genting - very smoky). if i pay $100 to just look-see, think not worth it. if i have to play the tables to get my entrance fee worth it, and i end up losing... argghhh.

if i win and i end up addicted, worst still!

so how many here are eagerly waiting to roll your first dice in the casino??

[millionairemind]

haha.. like what Winston mentioned before, we are all already playing in the BIGGEST casino of all, every Monday to Friday

Like you, I will only go to the Theme parks. Planning to buy a yearly pass for Universal Studios so that I can bring the boy there every month

[Musicwhiz]

haha.. like what Winston mentioned before, we are all already playing in the BIGGEST casino of all, every Monday to Friday

Like you, I will only go to the Theme parks. Planning to buy a yearly pass for Universal Studios so that I can bring the boy there every month

Is it convenient to get to Resorts World Sentosa? Is there a direct train service from Harbourfront? I thought of going there as well with my girl....

[millionairemind]

Train service readily available from 3rd floor of Vivocity.

Be careful not to put her on rides deemed too scary for her. When we visited Orlando Disneyworld in 2006, I had my son (he was 3 then) sit on the ThunderMountain RollerCoaster. He is a very tall kid so he got past the min. height requirement but that ride SCARED the hell out of him. He refused to take any other ride after that.

He is 7 now and last year we went to Gold Coast. He was ready for the roller coaster rides then and he took them repeatedly

http://www.sentosa.com.sg/useful_info/getting_to.html