Cracking down on illegal gambling in China must be like trying to hold the world’s oceans in your two hands; pretty much impossible. The Chinese love to gamble, as I have observed first-hand at many casinos around the place. I have always considered the Chinese to be a culturally pragmatic race; and that if any universal religion were to be identified it would involve the worshipping of money. Which makes them very much like the rest of us here in the West. Of course, these are all generalisations and there are exceptions to every rule.
Guangzhou Gambling Crackdown Nets 6730 Suspects
The fact that a big crackdown on illegal gambling in Guangzhou has netted some 6730 suspects from a two-month long undercover operation by the local police force, speaks as much about the large population of Chinese cities and provinces as it does about their gambling habits. Still, there is no denying that many Chinese people like to have a flutter, to spin the wheel, to throw the dice and bet on the outcome. Most gambling games and games of chance originated in China hundreds of years ago. Games like Mah Jong, Chess and Checkers and card games all had their origin in China.
In fact, these recreational and gambling games were originally used to divine the future. Yes, like tarot cards and the I-Ching today, all of these games were about predicting the future and someone’s fortune. At some time in the past their main purpose evolved from fortune telling to recreational enjoyment; with the added colour of a bet or two or three. The gambling side of these games retains their focus on fortune and chance; which is what life sometimes seems to be about. Luck is a very Chinese concept in itself. May you have good luck in life.
Horse racing betting is a beloved past time of the Chinese, and the racetracks in Hong Kong and other places are famous in the racing realm. To own a racehorse is a high status thing in China, especially. Asian social media is heavily populated with the goings on of famous jockeys, owners and their celebrity friends. Gambling seems to be an opportunity for both rich and poor to spin the wheel of fortune. The Chinese government really just wants its slice of the action, its cut, and will continue to crackdown on illegal gambling wherever it sees these rivers of gold passing them by without their share or taxation.