Greed and Gambling

I made a short visit to the arcade (following my cousins) whilst in Singapore. Well they had nothing to do anyway. The arcade are really tinily small. Small enough to get to any machines you'd have to rub against someone. There's only a handful of machines available.

But what drew my attention was those mini casino machines (not horse racing) But the machine in Genting & Mr. Bean's series where you put the coins in and hope it returns you with more coins? In other word, SLOT MACHINES (some form of it).

They have 2 machines. Major ones. Both available here. One is the one I just mention - the coin machine but instead of the coins they replaced them with Mentos. and among the Mentos there is a small kitten plushie, if you manage to push it down you'll get a nice Disney bear bear instead of just getting a whole KG of fresh mints.

The other machine is a little more interesting. It is like a forklift. And like slot machines once you hit a positive number it'll move up to whatever number was shown and a negative number otherwise. If you get 5 or more positive numbers the whole thing will tumble backwards and you'll get the prize. Here the prize was like hmm cheap bears, there is a little more enticing. They give away Handphones and PSPs and iPods. New ones.

And I really saw a lot of kids making their way and changing lots of dollar to play it. I too getting distracted and tempted, I changed some tokens and start playing them. But don't get me wrong, my intention is all in the name of science (YEAH RIGHT). I immediately quit after 2 rounds. I can because I can control it and I know the cunningness of the machines.

The bottom line is the machine lies to you by giving you false hope. It gives you a sense of you're winning a few more tries you'll get it. The truth is, The shop owner will never put expansive stuff if they know they don't earn from it. Well this is how they cheat. The 1st time you hit, you'll always get a postive number, the next well you're right, it'll be a negative number and yea it goes up up up.. DOWN up up up again, DOWN. That's how it cheat. Very simple program.

In short programming language = If lift>3 gotoandgive negative else go positive.

I gave up. =) after spending about $4. Well there is temptation for me to play some more since I am almost getting it. so close. As do every gambler always say. I have sinned that moment, yet I learn. It is not easy to control greed once you started it. I rest the case.

On the other hand my cousin's cousin took home 4 bear bear. She played the Mentos machine. She is kinda smart is finding alternative ways to leap a few steps ahead. In the end she got 4 bears. The workers can't stop replenish the bears. She used up $50 and walked away with 4. Me? I would rather buy from the shops. Faster and maybe cheaper?

Buy after I witness the kids playing, played myself, and watch the same kid probably wasted $10 or so on the machine, I was just thinking to myself, how many people suffered because of poverty and because they want some quick buck. And I kept repeating to myself,

It is better to live in the reality.

The word of God says. you don't work, you don't eat. Reality check.

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