There are two things I am not — a gamer and a gambler.
But once upon a time, I did play games. The games of tubig-tubig, takyan and garter stand out from my childhood. There was, of course, jackstones, as well.
I would spend summers challenging my two younger sisters to a skipping rope game — first one who reached 1,000 skips won the game. I can’t remember who won every summer but I remember the aches and pains I always felt the day after.
In 1986, Nintendo launched the Family Computer in the Philippines and I was introduced to Pac-Man. I played this for some time but not long enough to become addicted to it. I played Sudoku (on paper) longer but also lost interest.
When the smartphone arrived, I initially played some word games but only for a brief period of time. There are no game apps on my phone today. I’m just not a gamer. I don’t like playing games — including the mind games that some people like to play.
I was introduced to slot machines in my early 20s during trips abroad. But I never developed an interest in casinos because I am mostly risk-averse. Gambling is just not for me.
I believe in hard work, not good luck. I’m not saying I’m right. I just don’t believe that through sheer luck, a ton of money is going to fall on my lap.
I’ve been hearing for some time now that the reason why business is bad and retail sales are low even for basic commodities is because all the money is in online gaming and gambling.
At first, I thought it absurd. After all, wasn’t gambling for rich people only? Why would the sale of basic commodities be affected? Apparently, the world has changed and I’ve been living in a cave for too long.
I always thought of gambling only in the context of people sitting inside casinos. And while I knew that online-gaming and gambling existed, I didn’t realize how accessible and pervasive it now was.
Just a mobile phone and an e-wallet to spend P1 for the chance to win P1,000, I’ve been told. Believe it or not, never heard of “scatter” till now.
It seems unconscionable for people who can barely make ends meet, gamble away whatever money they have — that instead of using meager resources to put food on the table to feed their families, they’re betting them away for the chance to win a lump sum.
It seems to make sense. But it doesn’t. Because, they won’t only do it once. They will do it again and again till they get that lump sum. And when they do get a lump sum, they will try to replicate that win by gambling again till the cycle never ends.
It’s time the government stepped in to stop the epidemic of online gambling that’s spreading faster than a virus. It’s time to put in measures to regulate online gambling so it’s placed beyond the reach of the most vulnerable: the meager earner and the minor.
But the best measure would be to completely ban all forms of online gambling in the country.
When the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (Pogos) arrived in the country, I knew they were bad news. Well, we’ve banished them but illegal gambling sites including e-sabong, online casino games, among others, some of which are connected to the Pogos we kicked out, still exist.
It’s time we recognize gambling for the scourge that it is.
Gambling destroys lives just as other addictions do. It makes people do things they otherwise wouldn’t do just to feed their addictions. I was aghast to learn recently that some people I know have become “scammers.” How? Why? Online gaming addictions, I hear.
I don’t consider myself a lucky person but I can say I’m lucky I’m neither a gamer nor a gambler.