PONG!
S'pore kids are picking up mahkong from their parents. And some are betting on the side

By Joyce Lim

March 05, 2007


THE YOUNG are taking to mahjong with a fever akin to the online gaming craze.

Grandparents might nod to see traditional games being kept alive.

But here's the rub: To spice up the game, youngsters are also making wagers.

Survey findings by the National Council on Problem Gambling show that one in two Singaporeans perceive mahjong as a leisure and social game rather than gambling.

They start out getting hooked on a game and might later get hooked on gaming.

But those interviewed insisted the bets are incidental and mostly small.

For many of these youths, mahjong gambling begins at home.

Not only do the parents of these youths condone it, some of them have no qualms in exposing their children to it at an early age.

Others even join in the game whenever their children can't find enough players.

Richard Toh, 18, grew up with the familiar sound of mahjong tiles being shuffled together.

He was only 10 when his relatives asked him to help them pick the tiles from the deck.

Soon Richard learned to play by watching and picking up pointers from his relatives during their mahjong sessions.

Justin Lee, 15, picked up mahjong skills from his cousin when he was in Primary 6.
Now in Secondary 3, the Nan Hua High School student said: 'It was during Chinese New Year when my cousins taught me the game so that we could all have fun together.'

Since then, Justin has been playing mahjong with his relatives every Chinese New Year and during the school holidays.

He recalled losing $15 to his elder brother in a game last Christmas.

That's almost half his weekly allowance.

Luckily for him, his brother, Clarence, cancelled the debt.

Said Clarence, 18: 'I understand how sad it is to lose money in gambling. I lost $28 of my hongbao money on mahjong during Chinese New Year.'

Mahjong is in fact so popular among youngsters nowadays that it is not only the Chinese who play it.

Francis Carryn, 20, is a self-professed mahjong addict.

The Eurasian student from Temasek Polytechnic learned to play mahjong from her friends when she was 17.
'And all of a sudden, I became addicted,' she said.
'During the 'peak' period of my obsession, I played three to four times a week.'

Carryn insisted that she is only interested in the game, not the stakes.

She said that her stakes are usually 'very low', like 10 cents for one 'tai' (point).

The largest amount that she lost was about $30.

Indian student Michelle Joseph, 21, enjoys playing mahjong with her Chinese friends.

She said: 'It is just a form of entertainment, we don't gamble.'

Mr Jerry Chai, 35, a teacher from Jurong Junior College has noticed the mahjong trend among his students.

However he is not worried about his students falling into the trap of mahjong gambling, as long as they know how to handle their time and play in moderation.

'Mahjong is just like any other game - for instance, those online games youngsters these days are so hooked on. If students manage their time well and do not neglect their studies, mahjong can be a good form of entertainment and relaxation,' he added.

(Taken from The Electric New Paper)