You Bet Your Digit

Did you know they have a casino in this town? Apparently it's the big building sitting on top of the old Burswood rubbish tip down by the causeway. They have a gold sign out the front and an army of field hands in hi-vis vests tending the bushes. And if you go in there they can mind your money for you for a long, long time.

The mechanism they use to do this involves brightly coloured lights, computer screens, and credit cards. Rather like the on-line camera trade, in a way, but with the numbers reversed. Here's what I mean. When you go into the casino (apparently*) you put a small amount of money down somewhere upon the understanding that there is a possibility that they will give you a large amount of money to take away. Then they do something and take your money away. The something involves a wheel or a computer program or cardboard cards, but the essence of it is you know very quickly if you are going to get that large amount of money to take home or not. Small bet - big return - quick decision.

You can add overpriced drinks and dodgy food to the equation if you wish plus the amusement of seeing other pensioners. Suit yourself...

The on-line camera trade from Brisbane, Sydney, Blurkistan, or wherever is the same brightly coloured computer screens and the same credit card transaction, but in this case you are betting large sums of money with the hope of very small returns - the $ 2150 camera that you try to get for $ 2025 online sounds tempting until you find out that the manufacturer's representative here in Australia won't warrant it or supply repair parts to the cousin of a friend of he chap in Brisbane who is dealing out of a carton of them in his garage...

The local buyer who pays the $ 2150 gets a two year no-quibble warranty from the correct wholesaler - the online cheapjack gets to wonder if their putative $ 125 gain will really work out and won't know for two years. There is about an 8% chance that they will be out the whole pot. Big bet - small return - long delay in resolution.

Dumbo the elephant managed to fly with big ears. I would advise anyone who is seriously considering sending thousands of dollars off to unseen and unknown websites to examine the sides of their heads in the mirror. And then calculate their chances of getting off the ground...better than 8%...?

* Who knows? Us Baptists never go into casinos...in case it leads to dancing.

Uncle Dick