Gambling Dens Posing As 'Internet Cafes'

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 23(Bernama) -- The signboard says it is an Internet cafe, but the premises is actually a guise for a gambling den.

Ten such premises that are actually gambling dens posing as cybercafes have been operating at a public spot in the city for the past one year.

A Bernama journalist, posing as a patron, who managed to gain access into four of the gambling dens in the past five months, found that the gambling dens have been operating freely and show disregard to the law.

Each of the gambling den has its identity and clientele. Strict conditions were imposed on new patrons.

The 10 gambling dens are in five different blocks and each is located next to other premises like restaurants, grocery shops and workshops.

From the outside, these premises appeared as if they are Internet cafes, but inside it is another world where gambling runs round-the-clock bringing in millions of ringgit in profit a month.

NON-STOP OPERATIONS

From the observation made by the journalist, workers in the premises would make their rounds twice a day at every 12 hours. They would move from machine to machine to update the data and to tally the amount of money 'in' and 'out'.

To gamble it is very easy. A patron only needs to enter the premises and sits before a computer that is actually a gambling machine and pay a minimum of RM50 in order to start a game. The patron is given the credit worth the amount that he had paid and this would be denoted on the computer screen.

There are various games on offer for the patrons -- roulette, horse racing, kungfu, poker and others. The bottom line is that rarely the patrons end on a winning note. If he wins then it would be only once or twice in tens of attempts and the amount won is trivial when compared against what had been lost.

Each of the premises would have three to four employees on duty at any particular time. One is to tally up the collections, another to guard the entrance while the others would teach the new patrons how to play the games and to switch on the game machines.

A number of 'Tonto' (thugs) could be seen patrolling inside and outside the premises.

ELECTRONIC EYE

Apart from these 'sentries', the gambling dens are equipped with hidden electronic eyes or cameras installed within and outside the premises to ensure their safety and that of their neighbours.

The Bernama journalist learnt that the electronic eyes are to warn the premises and their neighbours of any raids conducted by the authorities.

The cameras are monitored by other workers placed in secret rooms and would warn the operators over the presence of the authorities and uninvited guests.

In order to enter these secret rooms, the restaurant helpers who wished to send food had to knock based on certain codes before being allowed in.

LUCK FROM THE COMPUTER MOUSE

Malays made up almost 90 per cent of patrons at these gambling dens. The others were foreigners who flocked to these premises particularly at the end of the month after they received their pay packets.

Some were too eager to win the instant cash promised by the gambling machines, unfortunately that did not happen and a few who went on a losing streak finally ending up to RM1,000 poorer in a day.

A regular at the gambing dens, a man in his 20's, said the premises offered many games and the area was safe.

"On pay day (I come here)...sometimes I won, but mostly I lost...depends on the luck," said the factory worker.

Despite the high risks, the urge of gauging his luck and trying to win fast money were among the factors that made him to visit the gambling den and played games on the computers that were controlled by the 'mouse'.

Another patron, named 'Otai' who is a veteran gambler in his 40's, said he played the gambling machines because of bets made with the other patrons.

Otai said he only depended on his luck and need not try too hard like the new and 'junior' gamblers.

"Assess the game first before making bets...have to be good and exercise caution, never mind a small loss but the money comes in slowly," said the Otai who started gambling some 10 years ago.

FREE TO OPERATE

Operators of other premises said the 10 gambling dens were frequently raided by the authorities but they came back to operate only after a few days later.

They claimed that the activity was difficult to curtail and their customers would become scared whenever the authorities raided these 'neighbours'.

An observer, who declined to be named, said the authorities must be stern in their action.

He feared that children start to patronise the gambling premises as they were located near a housing estate with some of the houses located a mere 50 metres away.

"What if the children who returned from school wanted to play computer games but instead they found the gambling machines," he said.

Adding heat to the 10 gambling premises were the presence of 'mat rempit' and 'jaga kereta' boys who demanded money from owners who parked their cars there.

Despite being raided so many times, the gambling dens are there to stay.

-- BERNAMA

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