Throughout the world, the Chinese are known as a hard-working nation. But they have another feature that can be safely called passion. It's an incredible love for gambling.
Rare Chinese deny the pleasure of tickling nerves, making a bet in any game or buying a couple of lottery tickets. In China, gambling, such as mahjong, may be available at any event, even if it is not a holiday.
History of Gambling in China
Devotion to gambling in China has a long and eventful history, mentioned in many ancient documents. The early records about gambling in this country were during the reign of the first dynasty, meaning that they are not less than 4000 years old.
China gave the world not only gunpowder, paper, and other practical inventions but also the lottery, mahjong, and Pai Gow.
From the seventh century BC in China, numerous organizations discovered places to play for money and acted for centuries. The wealthier people became, the more gambling houses appeared. This business was considered respectable in the fourteenth-seventeenth century and produced significant revenue. Often it involved representatives of the criminal world who cooperated with corrupt officials.
In the second half of the nineteenth - early twentieth centuries, China's gambling center was Shanghai. It attracted players from all over the vast country. Even then, a big casino appeared, where it was possible to make bets in many local and international games. Such places were the French Concession of Shanghai and the Shanghai International Settlement.
Rise of Macau
In 1847 the Portuguese government legalized gambling in Macau. Later, due to the civil war in China, the communist regime won, which ended all casinos in the country, but in Macau, which Portugal still rules, they continued to operate.
When in 1999, Macau became part of the People's Republic of China, changes in the law relating to gambling were not made. Since 2002, open casinos for foreigners have been allowed. Today, there are more than thirty Macau casinos with dozens of games, and it is the only place in China where casinos are legal. In 2010, Macau was visited by about twenty-five million people, and more than half of them played in the casino.
Almost throughout China, there is a legal lottery in Macau, and in Hong Kong, people can bet on horse races. Many Chinese people are sent on short-term travel in ships to play in the casinos operating on board.
Chinese Culture and Society
But to understand the reason for the love of the Chinese for gambling, it is not enough to turn to history. Studying this question requires an examination of Chinese culture. We are not talking about the encouragement of the authorities. The most prominent of these people did not approve of the game for the money, considering it a waste of time and a threat to the public. Therefore, the rulers, who were very difficult to manage in a vast empire, always sought to control gambling and even forbade it.
Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism influenced Chinese philosophical views. There, much attention is paid to the impact of higher powers.
Chinese players, to a greater extent than those in the Western world, believe in destiny and luck. They are essential for various charms, the location of objects (think feng shui), dates, and numbers (the famous numerology). All this can create the illusion of control over the situation, often leading to gambling addiction.
Gambling addiction is not usually regarded as a mental illness in Chinese society. Such people are considered flawed from a moral point of view, and a few will pity them, as in Western countries. Confucius said that "a decent man does not play for money."
Also necessary to take into account social factors that had a significant impact on the psychology of the Chinese people. Over the past few years, millions of people in this country have overcome the difficult path from poverty to a stable position and even prosperity. As you know, yesterday's poor, who managed to get rich quickly, often wanted to show the world they could throw money right and left. That is why many Chinese argue that play is purely for pleasure.
Do not forget that the absence of casinos in some areas does not mean that the people of this region do not play for money. For example, mahjong has been a game with accurate rates across the country for many centuries. This game is considered an excellent gymnastics for the mind, useful for older people, and great fun for all sorts of parties. It is played at weddings and even funerals.
Campaign against Gambling in China
While in Macau, gambling is increasing, the Chinese government does not support the idea of allowing casinos elsewhere in the country. Moreover, it actively closes the existing online casinos. In 2010, the activities of many casinos were stopped, and authorities seized Internet gambling operators at almost one hundred million dollars.
However, the government did not stop and closed sites that provided information about online casinos and provided links to them. This policy does not leave the Chinese fans such entertainment, and this industry is nearly destroyed in the country. Even foreign operators do not run the risk of offering their services to Chinese citizens.
However, gambling has existed in China for centuries, and hardly anyone or anything could make the Chinese abandon this hobby.
