The Standard ­ Tuesday
Date: 10.11.2015
Page 14
Article size: 206 cm2
ColumnCM: 45.77
AVE: 119022.22
Compel all gaming firms to
publish winning, losing odds
"The Notorious Jumping Frog of
Calaveras County" is one of Mark
Twain's figurative stories. It's about
an infamous character, Jim smiley,
an incurable gambler.
Jim Smiley is described as being
extremely curious and would bet on
anything that turned up provided
he could get someone to bet against
him. By all means, he had to place a
bet and for inexplicable reasons he
was lucky as he most always came
bity to the public by their black­ suit­
ed presence in 'draws' and have
minimal input in financial report­
ing? For its quite obvious published
audited accounts of companies do
not have betting board reports.
These competitions have all the
telltale signs of neo­ponzi schemes,
operating on regulatory greying ar­
ea and preying on our greed and
love for shortcuts.
for the same 'high' hence causing
addiction.
Research is begging on the im­
pact of such competition on in­
dividuals, family and society. Em­
pirical evidence points to broken
families, bankruptcy, financial em­
barrassments and depression.
Mark Twain the story teller, and
Mark Twain the journalist wore the
same cap. He used what he de­
Casinos, by law and established scribed as the 'The Golden Arm' of
traditions, are required to publish storytelling to frighten society out of
Is our society slowly turning in­ the odds or chances of winning. For its shoes to the reality of social vices
to Mark Twain's allegorical 'Jim Smi­ instance, placing a single bet on a using allegorical stories.
ley'­ a gambling society on almost number on a roulette table has (1
In "The Notorious Jumping Frog
every decision? Has the commer­ in 35) chance of winning. In other of Calaveras County", he was attack­
cial world adopted guerrilla mar­ words if the ball lands on your cho­ ing the gambling counter­culture of
keting techniques that border on sen number, you win 35 times your the 17th century backwater Ameri­
what economists describe as casi­ bet. But even so, the table is slight­ can mining towns. The main char­
ly weighted against you, for zero is acter, Jim Smiley, was not an honest
no economy?
With increased consumer infor­ a participating number. So in real­ gambler, but always had tricks up
mation and proliferation of sub­ ity, instead of having 34 chances of his sleeve until he found his match
stitute products available to the losing, it's actually 35. So probabil­ in a stranger who literally'weighted'
burgeoning middle class, has sell­ ity and law of averages favours the his specially trained jumping frog
ing the superficial product of 'win­ casino.
by filling it up with quail shot while
ning' become easier than selling the
Gambling, alcoholism, drug Jim Smiley had gone to look for an­
product itself?
abuse and any form of addictive be­ other frog for the stranger to bet on.
We are not privy to how much haviour are as a result of over­stim­ Jim Smiley, for once, lost his bet.
revenue companies rake in from ulation of a specific area of brain
It's time to weight the hundreds
such competitions. Accounting re­ that causes euphoric excitement. of competitions by a legal regime
porting standards are yet to catch The 'high' of a gambler, though that will compel all gaming compa­
up with this new revenue stream.
through a different approach, is the nies to publish the odds of winning
And what's the role of the Betting same euphoric 'high' of a heroine or losing for that matter.
Control Board in all this? Or are they abuser and consistent stimulation
just a symbolic reassurance of pro­ of the specific area causes craving
out a winner.
{Billy Mito, via email}
Ipsos Kenya ­ Acorn House,97 James Gichuru Road ­ Lavington ­ Nairobi ­ Kenya