The "street of death" in the city of Taichung in central Taiwan is
making headlines for enabling gamblers to bet on when elderly people
will die.
The bookmakers on the street are all "senior clubs" disguised as
charitable organizations that see a moneymaking opportunity in members
who are seriously or terminally ill, especially those from impoverished
families.
Families who agree to let their loved ones be bet upon can earn 10% of
the total winnings, leading some family members or legal guardians to
withhold treatment that could potentially prolong life. It has been
rumored that even doctors have been involved in the betting.
This morbid scheme has proved very popular among locals, with at least
60 such clubs set up along one street in Taichung. If the pot is
particularly large, gamblers can reportedly ask to be taken to the
patients' homes to observe their condition prior to placing bets.
According to China Press, senior citizens' clubs have set up more than
10 gaming houses in Taizhong City as the bizarre trend has taken off.
Gamblers - including cancer patients' family members and even the
doctors - have lodged NT$100m (£2.1m) with bookies.
It is reported that those who want to take part in the game have to pay a
membership fee of NT$2,000 (£43) to the bookies. The bookies then visit
hospitals to seek permission from the patients' family. Then they take
the punters to the hospital on their next visit to observe the patients.
According to the rules, the bookies win if the cancer patients die
within a month. However, if they die between one and six months after
the bets were placed, the gamblers would be paid thre times their wager.
One punter, a housewife surnamed Xu, said she currently has wagers on
four patients, although she now feels morally compelled to stop placing
bets. She said she was initially pulled into the scheme by a friend and
was tempted by the potential rewards, but the idea of celebrating a
financial windfall as a result of another's death eventually became too
much for her conscience to handle.
Visitors to the street say it is almost impossible for passersby to know
what the clubs do just from looking at the building names and signs.
Inside, the walls are plastered with account numbers and payout rules
and percentages, though there is no sign of anyone actually placing bets
or engaging in gambling activity, making it difficult for authorities
to take action. When exposed and confronted by the press, one den owner
reportedly said, "What we do is like social insurance to help poor
people source funeral money."
The health bureau of the Taichung city government said police are currently investigating the so-called street of death.
Source: Want China Times & Mirror
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