In the past few days, undercover police operating in Sharjah have cracked a ring of street hustlers who organised an illegal gambling ring. While the bust may not seem relevant in the big scheme of things, it nevertheless highlights a danger.
These unscrupulous operators who organise card games and slight-of-hand puzzles do so with the sole intent of ripping off unsuspecting and gullible labourers of their hard-earned money.
Even though the wagers may be just Dh5 a go, the habit becomes addictive and there is always only one winner — the crooks organising it. In effect, it is nothing more than slow robbery, preying on those who think they can beat the house. They can’t. Ever. And the danger is that they will gamble more and more to make up for their losses.
This type of activity leads to workers losing their wages, falling into the hands of loan sharks who are willing to prey on their vulnerability, or simply resorting to petty theft and street crime to replace their lost money to feed their gambling addiction.
Good work by Sharjah police. This festering crime cannot be tolerated for one minute.
