In Singapore you can gamble like a madman but you'll pay a fine if you're caught tossing your betting slip on the street rather than in a garbage can. Like the States, the government wants its cut - so you better be gambling via the state-owned Singapore Pools company. Unlike the States, they want a clean place and they really mean it - Puffin's brother was fined $200 yesterday for littering. Are these two things idiosyncratic? Perhaps not. One habit is promoted and another is punished though you could argue that neither is good for society.
Perhaps it's simply the realization that Chinese love to gamble and there's no realistic hope of curbing it. There is all sorts of gambling here. From the "friendly" Mahjong game at home to a trip to the newly opened casino resort downtown. Or, you could simply play the numbers - just head over to a branch of Singapore Pools, fill out the form and plunk down a few dollars.
If none of that excites, you could bet on a European soccer match or Formula One. I stared at the screens trying to make sense of the cascading numbers but it was way over my head. I'll stick to the Mahjong home game - at least there I'll be consoled by familiar people with friendly faces as they take my money.
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