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

[kennynah]

i agree.... if only we can legislate those sgpools outlets away.... but we cant legislate Asians' almost innate desire to gamble... we will then revert back to the old "chap dee kee", 4D and toto hukstering... this will create even more problems...spawning loan sharking, debt collection syndicates, etc...

the good thing about betting against sgpools is that the transactions are all "cash"...no money, one cannot buy into 4D, toto, soccer, etc... those private operators allow for credit purchase... some people i know used to accumulate thousands in bets.... and cant pay up.... in the end, they receive a nice pig's head complete with piccaso's impression of abstract blood art on their doors...

but again, i lor soh... just becos some of us have a craving for gambling, does not mean the gahmen should allow gambling dens to be operated here... we should NOT be promoting gaming as a tourist attraction...

there are a few businesses whose profits should never be sought after in all good conscience...money from prostitution, gambling and drugs

[winston]

there are a few businesses whose profits should never be sought after in all good conscience...money from prostitution, gambling and drugs

Ha Ha ... you forgot cigarettes and alcohol. Others would include mining

[winston]

US casino cheat sentenced to prison

A US man who set up an elaborate conspiracy to cheat US and Canadian casinos of millions of dollars was sentenced to 70 months in prison on Monday, the Justice Department said.

Officials said Phuong Quoc Truong will also forfeit nearly three million dollars, repay nearly six million dollars to several casinos he defrauded and forfeit assets including a several US and Vietnamese properties, a Porsche, a Rolex watch and a diamond-encrusted pendant.

Truong was convicted of having set up a criminal enterprise known as the "Tran Organization," based in San Diego, which bribed casino card dealers and supervisors to help them execute an elaborate cheating scheme.

The scheme targeted blackjack and mini-baccarat games and involved "false shuffles" that would create groups of unshuffled cards that organization members could successfully bet on, knowing the card order in advance.

"By doing so, members of the conspiracy allegedly repeatedly won thousands of dollars during card games, including winning several hundred thousand dollars on one occasion," the Justice Department said.

"Members of the organization used sophisticated mechanisms for tracking the order of cards during games, including hidden transmitter devices and specially created software that would predict the order in which cards would reappear during blackjack games."

So far, 37 defendants have pleaded guilty to participating in the organization and cheating approximately 27 casinos, the department added.

Source: AFP American Edition

[millionairemind]

HOME > BREAKING NEWS > SINGAPORE > STORY

Apr 7, 2010
More gamblers seeking help
By Melissa Kok


CALLS to the problem gambling hotline have more than doubled since Singapore's first casino opened less than two months ago, and more people are asking for help.

The National Council of Problem Gambling's (NCPG) helpline received 450 calls in February, and 523 between March 1 and 28, compared to an average of 200 a month between October last year and January this year.

The council said the majority of the calls were from Singaporeans.

And instead of simply inquiring about exclusion orders and the signs of problem gambling, as they previously did, callers were now more likely to share the problems that had cropped up with having a gambling addict in the family.

'The social issues that come with it are things like, he is now no longer living with the family, the wife is sick and the children are having problems in school. So you see these social issues now appearing,' said Mrs Mildred Tan, who chairs the council's public communications sub-committee.

More exclusion orders are being requested by family members as well. Out of 49 issued in the past 12 months, 30 were served in the last two.

[Musicwhiz]

Only 2 months and already the NCPG is being inundated by calls.

[winston]

Israeli couple finds $20 million lottery ticket

After lucky discovery, Israel couple claims $20 million _ country's biggest-ever lottery prize

GRANT SLATER
AP News

Apr 13, 2010 09:57 EDT

A couple who won Israel's biggest-ever lottery prize came forward to claim the $20 million payout on Tuesday, saying they had no idea they had been holding the lucky ticket for nearly four months.

The couple appeared at a news conference wearing masks to protect their identities, and told reporters the winning ticket had been languishing near the bottom of a pile of papers and old lottery forms at their home.

They noticed the ticket this week and double checked the numbers, discovering it was a winner.

"This win is thanks to my wife who pushed me to go check the tickets because otherwise I wouldn't have found it," the man said.

After determining they had a winning ticket, the couple made a late-night visit to a store shortly before closing to see how large the prize would be. The husband said a silence fell over the room as they began counting the number of zeros in the winning payout with the clerk.

"How much did we win, for God's sake?" he said he recalled thinking. "Everyone there was pretty shocked."

Israel often conceals the identities of lottery winners to protect their privacy. The couple wore red masks with the lottery agency's logo at Tuesday's press conference. The woman also wore a wide-brimmed black sun hat.

The two said they have no idea what to do with their newfound fortune, hinting that some of it may go to charity.

The $20 million prize is subject to a 25 percent tax in Israel, the lottery agency said.

Source: AP News

[winston]

"In gambling, the many must lose in order that the few may win."

George Bernard Shaw

[investar]

Hi gamblers, a question...

I want to get some exposure in the gambling/gaming sector for my HK portfolio.
I have selected 3 potential candidates:

1. Rexlot 0555

They are the Chinese lottery supplier, and are opening sports betting shops all over China.
Superb chart. But expensive with a 30 P/E.

2. SJM Holdings 0880

Macao/ Stanley Ho/ casinos
Good chart, recent upgrades

3. Shun Tak 0242

Macao/ Stanley Ho/ real estate and transportation
ok, not really a gambling stock, but still related enough.
High discount to NAV, insider buys, results soon (estimated the 21st)
Chart not impressive anymore now that it broke below 5 on high volume

Which one would be most interesting?
All opinions or other suggestions appreciated.

[iam802]

I traded MPEL (Melco Crown). Just close it for a small profit.

Not sure if it is listed on HK.

[kennynah]

today...2 china mei mei told me they are at our beautiful casino in sentosa....one of whom just arrived 2 days ago....seems like a touristic attraction for them...whether they gamble there or solicit business...i duno...never been there...never will go there...