Casinos
Like all the countries of the former CIS, Kyrgyzstan experienced a rapid conversion to the free market economy, commercialism, and all that that involves … including the rise gambling and Casinos.
In Bishkek, there have appeared Bookmakers, Gaming halls with slot machines and computer games, and a variety of Casinos.
I said in a previous postcard that I was not exactly a “nightowl” and didn’t go out to nightclubc very often. In fact, when it comes to casinos I am particular inexperienced, but then, the mathematician in me, makes me naturally shy of visiting such places. Sometimes understanding the probabilities of winning, or losing, seems to detract from the appeal.
I remember, for example, watching a film called “Stariy Kliatchy“, (“Old Nags”), about a quartet of pensioners who set out to recover an apartment one of their number had been swindled out of. It’s a Russian film made by a very talented director, Risanoff, who specializes in filming comedies. I really liked the film, not least because it one of the first Russian films that I found I was able to watch and understood without needing an interpreter or subtitles.
In the film there is a scene where the “old nags” have accumulated some funds in order to buy back the flat, but not enough. They find themselves in a casino and take turns to place a bet on the roulette table. The first one places her solitary chip on a number and they wait with baited breath whilst the ball spins in the roulette wheel … and finally lands on her number. More chips are slid over the table to her. The second then decides to bet the lot … on the same number … which once again comes up trumps. The atmosphere is building as yet more chips are slid across the table. The third “old nag” looks at the pile of chips and decides to risk it all on … yes, the same number. A gasp goes round the table, but sure enough the ball obligingly lands in the appropriate slot – and yet more chips are slid across the table. Three of the “old nags” now decide that it is time to cash in on their good luck, but the fourth, (the dispossessed one), insists that it is her turn and she too wants to place a bet. To everyone’s horror, she places the huge pile of chips … on the same number … which miraculously wins.
Part of me wanted to cry out how outrageous this was … the odds are so totally against it … almost one in 2 million against it … but that doesn’t make it impossible – just highly improbable. However, it did give me the chance to explain the mathematics to those watching the film with me.
Once a teacher, always a teacher! And Maths teachers are probably the worst of the lot when it comes to this sort of situation.
Needless to say, I was told to forget it … “it’s only a story!”
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The law on Casinos has changed several times since it was first passed by the Parliament in the early days following Independence. At first they were allowed, then they were prohibited … and finally they were permitted once again but under special regulations and with restrictions on their activities. Special tax arrangements were enacted – based on the number of tables or gaming machines.
I remember when the law was changed to ban casinos, because they were not in keeping with Muslim and traditional Kyrgyz culture, I was telephoned by a local journalist who wanted to know what impact I thought this measure would have on the tourist appeal of the country. My answer was simple. Although it was regrettable that Kyrgyzstan was losing a facility, I didn’t think it would really have that much impact on the appeal of Kyrgyzstan as a tourist destination because most people who visited the country weren’t necessarily looking for Casinos. They were interested in the spectacular landscape, the history and culture that they could find here.
As it happens, there has been a recent protest calling for gambling establishments to be banned. On this occasion it wasn’t a case of the protesters arguing that casinos are not in keeping with Muslim and traditional Kyrgyz culture, but they were relatives of compulsive gamblers. They had collected around 100,000 signatures from all over Kyrgyzstan on a petition supporting the closure of gambling centers. “Some gambling addicts committed suicides. We need to collect another 200,000 signatures to submit the bill on closure of such facilities to the Parliament. We actively work on this now,” one of the organizers told reporters.
They also suggested that young people, starting from the age of 10 years old, were sometimes affected by this form of addiction – but she was probably referring to video gaming clubs rather than casinos, where there are already age restrictions in place; people have to be at least 21 years old to be allowed to enter a casino.
For the record: Apparently, today, (September 12th), is supposed to be National Video Games Day in the States. There’s some confusion over this because July 8th is also Video Games Day, (without the designation,”National”), but no-one seems to be able to quote any justification for either day … who the initiators were or what their aim was … but it seems to have been around for some years, since 2007, at least.
Perhaps more worrying is that there has recently been some speculation of possible connections between casinos, political circles and the drug trade; Kyrgyzstan being a point on the transit of heroin from Afghanistan towards Russia. On the other hand, such connections between casinos and criminal gangs are often drawn – as, for example, in Las Vegas and Atlantic City – and, not altogether surprisingly, evidence of a direct connection has not been found.
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The number of Casinos in Kyrgyzstan is closely controlled, with a quota for different regions of the country. The same is true in neighbouring states – for example, in Russia there are now just four designated zones where Casinos are permitted. There are similar restrictions in Kazakhstan and China, (where they are basically forbidden except in certain specially controlled areas such as Macao, which rivals both Atlantic City and Las Vegas as a “gambling Mecca”).
Following the closure of most of the Casinos in Russia and Kazakhstan it was suggested by some people here to create a special “gambling zone” near Lake Issyk Kul. It was thought that such a proposal would be very successful attracting punters from India and China, as well as the potential Russian and Kazakh clients.
The number of casinos that operate in Kyrgyzstan is, in fact, a matter of some dispute. On the other hand, they are difficult to miss where they do exist; with brilliant neon lights advertising their presence.
Bishkek