As poverty rises, the gambling rate in the Philippines also emerges. According to the latest survey of Social Weather Stations (2024), "The estimated numbers of self-rated poor families were 17.4 million in December 2024 and 16.3 million in September 2024." Emphasizing the continuous rise of Filipino families who view themselves as poor. In correlation to that, the gambling rate in the Philippines seems to match America's rate, reaching 64% in the past few years (Evangelista et al., 2021). With these statistics recorded, it is evident that the two variables significantly affect each other. In a survey also conducted by Evangelista et al. (2021), "five out of ten Filipinos say that the earnings of the legal gambling industry come from poor people."
Now, it's a big wonder what's making the Filipinos gamble on something that there's no assurance of regardless of their meager income?
“Filipinos continue to gamble not because they delight in the sheer pursuit of chance, but because their circumstances dictate that whatever chance is available must be religiously chased after” (Felipe, 2004). Due to life circumstances and the inflation rate happening, citizens in the Philippines would rather place their bets on gambling regardless of knowing that winning is statistically small, as they view it as the easiest way to have a better life than to trust banks and the country’s government to improve.
To be fair, many of these gamblers are from poor backgrounds, making it even more challenging for them to break free from this habit. Such people often cling to the hope that a single win could lift them out of poverty, yet this pursuit often hinders their chances of achieving a better life.
In a carnival where every bet counts, how do the odds shape the hopes and dreams of those who dare to involve themselves?
Regardless of the odd way of surviving in a Third World country, the probabilities of winning in carnivals are still possible, just like how their lives could change in a high-probability winning game. Beyond the gamers' view regarding their chances of winning, the owners of these carnivals also gamble on their own efforts and resources in order to gain and expand their resources. As stated in the earlier pages where the carnival games' descriptions and the probability roles on them were mentioned, it is quite noticeable that the organizers have their own computations to ensure profit, regardless of a player having smart tactics and knowing their way around probabilities.
To further discuss, when entering a carnival or gambling business, the first thing that a business owner should do is calculate the probabilities of winning their games. Having the expected values of each game aids them in estimating the proper income to meet and the price structure. This technique is also used in casinos, online games, lotteries, and even in making life decisions, which individuals don’t often notice. Carnival owners are able to utilize their skills not only in business but also in probability as they evaluate and set game odds to ensure that the business remains profitable, even if players win against them. With that being said, probability isn’t just enclosed in mathematics; Filipinos utilize it in their everyday lives. In carnivals, where gambling is often seen as the only hope of surviving and altering their lives, individuals skillfully leverage the odds and probabilities they calculate.
References:
Evangelista, L. D., et. al. (2021). Gambling behavior of young adults: A basis for an intervention program. College of Arts and Sciences, Batangas State University. https://visnav.in/ijabs/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2021/12/Gambling-behavior-of-young-adults-A-basis-for-an-intervention-program.pdf
Inquirer.net. (2024, December). Self-rated poor Filipinos rise to 64% in Dec 2024, says SWS survey. https://www.google.com/amp/s/newsinfo.inquirer.net/2022573/self-rated-poor-filipinos-rise-to-63-in-dec-2024-says-sws-survey/amp
Miranda, F. B. (2004, July 13). Gambling as a way of life. Philstar.com. https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2004/07/13/257352/gambling-way-life/amp/