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Manila Bulletin devider Opinion devider Wanna bet?

Wanna bet?

Published Jul 10, 2024 04:07 pm

MEDIUM RARE 

Jullie Y. Daza

You are not allowed:

Soldiers and policemen; government officials and employees; minors under 21 years; and those barred by their family and licensee exclusions. (Wigs and disguises haven’t been reported to work.)

If you have no idea what you are barred from, you’re a true innocent. Let’s hope you stay that way. And keep out of a casino where the promise of easy money is sure and pure temptation: Imagine that, on a lucky day, your lucky arm pulls a lever on a slot machine and you hit the jackpot! Easy work? Only rarely!  

In one casino hotel I was told that the day’s jackpot was P15 million. Another source confided, with total reluctance, that it was not impossible for the jackpot to be in the stratosphere of a few hundred millions after accumulating “deposits” for something like 30 days. Reminder: Lady Luck is not only elusive, she’s illusive, an illusion.

But if some people did not consider themselves lucky and dared not try their luck ever, where would those splendorous casino hotels be? For the moment, winnings are tax-free, as in many countries. How long BIR can keep their hands off Lady Luck’s minions is a matter of time. For now, BIR collectors are leaving the casinos free, untouchable, untaxed. Whoever says casino hotels/hotel casinos add to the tourism lure of beautiful beaches, verdant islands, and shop-til-you-drop temptations speaks the truth.

Good vibes are what professional gamblers look for when they join junkets, traveling to different countries to test the waters and find out which cities, which hotels give off the most prosperous waves of fortune.

What you probably did not know is that there’s such a thing within the industry as “responsible gaming” – such a respectable pair of words that it comes with a council. At City of Dreams, which I ventured into on the promise of a choice of Filipino, Chinese, Japanese restaurants, they even have a casino VP overseeing responsible gaming, or regulated gaming, thus this timely headline: “City of Dreams is the first and only integrated resort in the country to be accredited with an RG check (for responsible gaming) by the Responsible Gaming Council.”

Council or no council, like they say, keep it fun. For your own good. 

 

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Jullie Y. Daza Medium Rare
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