I often go Lesiure world, but i dun understand how the rolling work.
any expert, can lecture on this ?
Thanks.
Casino fever burned this high roller
Brewery man Chia Teck Leng gambled much of the $117 million he stole from banks in casinos. LOW CHING LING (lowcl@sph,com.sg) speaks to one Singapore high roller who blew $10 million dicing with Lady Luck - and is game for a Singapore casino
22 March 2004
HE once lost over a million dollars in a single visit to the casino.
And he didn't bat an eyelid.
That was more than six years ago, when Ben (not his real name) lived a high-stake high life, jet-setting to casinos around the world.
In those days, the 58-year-old semi-retired businessman said, he didn't think twice about plonking down hundreds of thousands of dollars on the gaming table.
Speaking to The New Paper on Sunday in his multi-million dollar District 10 bungalow, he said: 'In seven years, I lost over $10 million.'
The millionaire's gambling sprees have taken him to casinos in Las Vegas, Australia, Macau and Thailand, and on luxury cruise ships.
HIGH LIFE
Casinos would roll out the red carpet for them, Ben said.
He described the lavish treatment the casinos dished out on those they regarded as big spenders, like himself.
He used to travel free in casino private jets and chauffeured limousines, and stay in five-star hotel suites.
'They'd pick us up at the airport, carry our luggage and check our passports to make sure everything was okay,' Ben recalled.
'They'd give us the best of everything for free - first-class return air tickets, presidential suites, high-class entertainment, and almost everything else.'
These high rollers would gamble away from the crowds, in quiet, luxurious VIP or VVIP rooms, where they would be waited on hand and foot by well-dressed staff.
'The rooms were lavishly decorated, with Persian carpets and expensive chandeliers,' he recalled.
The players, whom the casino staff would know on a first-name basis, were wined and dined in the finest style.
They would also get almost anything they asked for - from cigarettes and the most expensive wine, to women.
'If you said you wanted to play golf, the casino staff would immediately book a slot for you,' Ben said.
Ben described the high roller's life as 'mind-boggling', a word he used several times during the two-hour interview.
The owner of three Mercedes Benzes has also rubbed shoulders with international bigwigs, royalty, media magnates and banking tycoons.
Many members of Singapore's corporate elite are also regulars, but Ben wouldn't disclose any names.
He said the casinos' top brass also woo their top clients by visiting their home countries.
'They'd throw lavish dinners and hand out generous gifts like Rolls-Royces. And they'd also give hongbao for you to cash in at the casinos the next time you play there.'
Ben's love affair with the world of high-stakes punting started in 1990 when his friends introduced him to it. It turned into a seven-year addiction.
ADDICTED TO GAMBLING
'The first time you play big, you depend on a group of experienced players to guide you and hopefully help you make money,' he said. 'But after a while, you're left to fend for yourself.'
Every week, Ben and his friends went on casino junkets all over the world. (See report at far right.)
The father of four, whose favourite haunts are Mirage and Bellagio in Las Vegas, would usually play Baccarat, and could spend up to 30 hours gambling in a single sitting.
'I'd bet from as little as a few thousand dollars to as much as $80,000.'
But, he admitted, Lady Luck rarely smiled on him. 'I've made substantial losses. I've lost more than $1 million at one sitting before.'
His biggest win of about $400,000 pales in comparison.
Ben said: 'When I win, I tend to ease off. But when I lose, it's as if I'm losing my pride. Then I tend to play longer, hoping to recover my losses. But I usually do more damage.'
Ben said he had seen many high rollers lose more money than him.
'They lose $5m or $10m, and it's nothing to them.'
Gambling is stressful, especially when you are on a losing streak, he added.
'Even when I went back to my hotel room after a long game, I couldn't sleep. The image in my mind was still of cards moving around.'
At that point, Ben even gave up the business that he'd made his fortune in, to concentrate on his habit.
Ben admitted he was drawn to the high life of a big-time punter.
'The casinos and junket operators pamper you and take really good care of you. They know how to make you feel good. They introduce you to people and tell others you're a big businessman from Singapore.'
But in 1997, he decided to give it all up as he was chalking up huge losses. And his wife, a businesswoman, did not approve of his high-stakes gambling.
LOWER STAKES NOW
Ben, who runs entertainment outlets in Singapore and overseas, said he rarely visits casinos now. The last time was more than three years ago.
Even when he does go, he'll restrict the amount of money he bets and the time he spends there.
'I no longer have the means to play very big, having spent most of my savings on gambling. If I take $100,000, I'll just play with $100,000. If I lose it all, I'll leave.'
Nowadays, he spends most of his time at home where he plays mahjong with friends.
He showed me his air-conditioned mahjong room, which is furnished with one triangular table (for three players) and a square one (for four players).
He also proudly held up a mahjong tile made with good-quality ivory and asked me to feel it.
During Chinese New Year, he invites friends over to play cards.
'But we play small - only a few hundred dollars.'
But Ben's love affair with casinos has not ended. He is all for the idea of opening one in Singapore, as broached by the Government last week. (See report at right.)
When the topic was raised during the interview, Ben spoke like an excited schoolboy.
He said he would be interested in investing in it if it was a government-run casino and shares were offered to the public, or if the Government were to issue licences for private operators.
'A casino in Singapore would attract many foreign players and create jobs for the locals. It's also a safe country where everything goes by law.'
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WHAT THE GOVERNMENT SAID:
IN a major departure from its past thinking, the Government disclosed last week that it may allow a casino on one of Singapore's islands to woo international talent, tourists and investments.
It may be part of plans for a 500-hectare resort and residential development linking Sentosa by boat or bridge to the Southern Islands 3km away, Trade and Industry Minister George Yeo had said.
But the Government also indicated that a casino, if built, will have some form of entry restriction and safeguards.
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Get them hooked, get your commission
THEY help casinos recruit high rollers. In turn, the casinos pay these junket operators a commission, usually a little less than 10 per cent the amount wagered by the players in a trip.
Some operators will pass part of their commission back to their clients as an incentive.
Mike (not his real name), 45, is one such operator based in Singapore. He's been in the business for five years.
There are also those who offer to pay for their clients' travelling and hotel expenses, which means they are not obliged to share their commission with them.
Junket operators, who must first get a licence from the casinos, provide a 'play-first-pay-later' service for players by creating credit accounts with the casinos.
They are responsible for settling their clients' losses with the casinos.
They get almost the same kind of VIP treatment as the high rollers they introduce, like being invited to the same dinners.
There are only about three or four licensed operators in Singapore, Mike said.
His customers include Singaporean, Indonesian and Thai businessmen. He organises junkets once every fortnight or a month for a group of seven to 10 people to casinos in Genting Highlands, Australia, Las Vegas, Macau, Thailand and also on cruise ships.
'I have met many people who don't have the means but gamble a lot of money. As a result, they get into trouble. Some resort to breaking the law, like stealing company funds,' he said. That's why he agrees with the Government that a casino, if built here, should allow access only to the well-off.
Baccarat table no kangtao.
