China And Gambling.

Chinese people are well-known in the world as a very hard-working nation. However these people have got one more distinct feature. It may be called passion. It is incredible love for gambling. You can hardly find a Chinese who isn`t eager to stake in any game or to buy a lottery. In China there is such a possibility to play for money, mahjong for example, at any event even if it isn`t very festive.

The history.

Such an addiction in China has got an old and rich in events history that saved a lot of interesting documents. The first notes about gambling in this country were created at the first dynasty time of ruling. It means they are approximately 4000 years old. China presented the world not only with powder, paper and other practical inventions but also with such entertainments as lotteries, mahjong or pai go.

Beginning from the 7th century in China there were a majority of organizations that opened establishments to play for money. The richer the nation became the more gambling houses appeared. In the 14-17th centuries this business was known as very respectable and profitable. Very often the representatives of the criminal world with whom corrupt officials cooperated also were engaged in it.

At the second half of the 19th century – the starting of the 20s century the centre of gambling in China was Shanghai. It attracted the gamblers from all corners of the country. At that time big casinos have already appeared there. It was possible here to make stakes in many local and foreign games. Such establishments could be easily found in the Shanghai French concession and Shanghai world settlement. In 1847 the Portugal government legalized gambling business in Macao. Later civil war resulted in the appearance of communist regime in China. This eventt made an end to all the casinos of the country. However in Macao which was governed by Portugal it continued to exist.

When in 1999 Macao began to be a part of the Chinese National Republic there were no changes connected with gambling business. Since 2002 it was allowed to the foreigners to open gambling establishments here. Nowadays there are more than 30 casinos in Macao. It was the only place in China where legal gambling houses exist. Many games were offered to the gamblers. In 2010 Macao was visited by about 25 million people and about half of them played in the casino.
Practically on all Chinese territory you can easily find legal lotteries. In Macao and Hong Kong you can make stakes at the races. Many Chinese people go on short ship trips in order to play in the board casinos during the travelling.

Culture and society.

However if we want to realize the reason for such Chinese gambling love it isn`t enough to refer to history only. The research of this issue requires the viewing of the Chinese cultural life. It is necessary to mention that we don`t speak about the government encouragement. Very famous personalities of this nation didn`t approve games for money considering them to be a useless spending of time and threaten to the social order. That`s why the rulers for whom it was really difficult to run the Imperia tried to control the gambling and sometimes they even banned them.

The philosophical Chinese views were formed under the influence of Confucianism, Daoism and Buddhism. Great influence in them is paid to the influence of higher powers. Chinese gamblers believe in fortune and luck much more than representatives of the western world. Such things as different amulets, the location of the things, dates and numbers are very important for them. All these things can create an illusion that everything is under control. Very often it can lead to the gambling dependence.

By the way in the Chinese society gambling dependence is not viewed as psychic illness. Such people are considered to be bad from the moral point of view. And nobody will feel pity for them as it is accepted in western countries. Even Confucius claimed that decent person doesn`t play for money.

It is also necessary to take into account the social factor which made a great impact on the Chinese psychology. For the several last years millions of Chinese residents overcame the way from poverty to the stable status and even to wellbeing. As it is known the previous poor man who managed to become rich very quickly sometimes is eager to show his success to the entire world that he can spend a lot of money on everything. That`s why many Chinese people claim that they play just for the pleasure`s sake.

We shouldn`t also forget that if there is no casino on a certain territory it doesn`t mean that its residents don`t play for money. For example people play in Mahjong with real stakes all over the country for a long time already. This game is considered to be a good gymnastics for the brain. It`s useful for older people and it is a great entertainment for different parties. It is played even at weddings and funerals.

Campaign against gambling business.

Although in Macao gambling business develops rather fast the Chinese government don`t support the idea of allowing the casino on the rest territory of the country. Moreover it actively closes the existing online casinos. In 2010 the work of many such establishments was stopped and the government deprived the internet gambling operators of almost one hundred million dollars.

However the government didn`t stop its actions and it began to work with sites that gave information about online casinos and had references for them. This policy doesn`t leave Chinese lovers of such entertainments any chances and this industry is practically eradicated on the territory of the country. Even foreign operators don`t take risk of offering their service to the Chinese citizens.

In general gambling in China has existed for a long time and hardly can anything make the Chinese people give up this hobby.

Several interesting facts about Macao.

It isn`t easy for ordinary Chinese people to get into this town – special administrative region. Kilometer queues of gamblers stay at the gate of Hongbei. Except for visa you have to show 2 thousand dollars to the customs official. Otherwise you will not be allowed to enter Macao.

Chinese officials don`t have the allowance to play. There are workers of the bureau of KNR social security and they catch the officials and observe how much money Chinese people spend in the casino if a person spends more than 10 thousand dollars then he must explain where he has taken such a sum of money.

The population of Macao is 450 thousand people. This city earns about 15 milliard dollars with a help of tourists. So approximately 33 thousand dollars for every citizen including children and old people.

In 2011 the income from gambling in the administrative region of Macao was 33,5 milliard dollars. It is five times more than general income from all Las-Vegas gambling houses.

In 2012 the American gambling king Sheldon Adelson opened the 35th casino in Macao – integrating resort the price of which was 4 400 million dollars.

By the way in the Macao tower there is the highest bungee jump on the heig
ht of 233 meters. Will you be able to walk 220 meters up and get pleasure from watching how imprudent people jump from the height of 61 stories building. And if you are courageous enough then you can try yourself what is 200 meters in free falling. The feelings are indescribable and unforgettable.