Comments on: Illegal Gambling Crackdown Drops Gaming Revenues

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 01:39:57 +0000

14 months later…..

And the numbers will still get lower, and I really hope they do shut down Commiskey's next. Ms. Kim and Ms. Berry wish they could sue USFK as they're livelihood is about to dry up, HAHA (That would be funny as hell in court). She complains daily how she doesn't make money anymore. They should just be happy that they still make money even with the "crackdown". Koreans, although very small in numbers, are still gambling illegally, and being "escorted" on post for the purpose of gambling. How about take your billions of won and open a "legal" business? Oh, thats right, you told me you don't want to pay Korean taxes. LOL.

I've told LTG Campbell about this years ago, but as we all know, the almighty dollar was more important than anything else.

By: ChickenHead

ChickenHead — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 11:30:59 +0000

As usual…

…nobody can give reasonable explainations all the odd and shady-looking stuff that is openly going on around USFK.

Hmmm.

The term "Bunch of Limp Dinks" comes to mind.

By: Pete

Pete — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:36:13 +0000

To me a 49% drop means that more than ID card holders are still playing the slots. Total enforcement of the polciy should cause at least a 75% drop in gross revenue.

I still don't understand the logic behind taking one individuals money through gambling so that another individual can benefit through less expensive golf/bowling fees etc.

By: sesame seed

sesame seed — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:16:52 +0000

Crackus #7, Tell that to any commander that can choose to pursue or not any crime. Checking ID's IS cherry picking. The base/USFK commanders choose not to pursue the hard stuff. Just speculation, but they may get a taste. *wink wink*

It's smoke and mirrors. Fine, Ms. Kim married to Mr. Smith can't get a cut anymore from off-base Ajumma, boo hoo. Problem is still there. Checking ID's still does not solve the problem of GI's collecting debt. If someone has a vice, there will always be someone to satisfy it. If we're going to stop this nonsense, then let's tell Joe, from the motorpool, that he's got to give up his vices because he just can't be trusted:

No Gambling (a choice an adult makes, while off-duty)

No Drinking (let's be consistent)

No Smoking (Because you're not adult enough to know better)

No Porn (My morals are better than your morals)

No Going Off-base (Because you might cause an incident)

This will solve gambling addiction, alcohol abuse, health problems, self-flagellation, and any off-post incidents. Let's just stop treating them like adults and holding them accountable.

By: ChickenHead

ChickenHead — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:13:20 +0000

GI,

Heh heh heh…

"we shouldn’t just automatically assume any corruption was going on."

Quite the contrary. In USFK, especially where big, semi-accounted-for money is involved, corruption is the norm and not some rare exception.

Look at ANY aspect of USFK life from contracting… to on-limits clubs… to ox tails… to housing… to golf… to substandard services for servicemembers… to gambling before the "crackdown" to etc… and please tell me there is an explanation other than corruption which more clearly explains what we see.

I'm listening.

USFK leadership isn't that stupid… they are just intentionally ignorant of the situations which haven't yet "come to light" or they are involved.

By: GI Korea

GI Korea — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 14:57:26 +0000

By the way Chickenhead good point but maybe MWR just layed off some people to make up for the loss of funds. It always appeared to me in Korea that there was two people employed to do the job that one person can do. In other words we shouldn't just automatically assume any corruption was going on.

By: GI Korea

GI Korea — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 14:52:22 +0000

I consider the Ms. Kim's of Korea making millions off the gambling scam to be worthy of a crackdown. Why should Ms. Kim become a millionaire off the gambling scam while soldiers working hard in the motorpool will never see that much money probably in their entire life time?

By: Kingkitty

Kingkitty — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:59:40 +0000

Well Chicken my point was just like at Camp Long, when a crack down occurs to the point of great loss of revenues…Services will disappear although MWR says services will not be affected.

By: Crackus

Crackus — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:45:52 +0000

Because when you start cherry picking the crimes you enforce you set a precedent and ultimately lose credibility. (i.e., Korean National Police)

By: sesame seed

sesame seed — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 09:57:27 +0000

The original story dealt with a service member killing himself after accumulating debt. The congressman wanted to shutdown gambling on base. What did checking ID's accomplish? A lower revenue? It was foreign money coming in and service members can still accumulate debt. I don't see the effectiveness.

Chickenhead is right to point out this inconsistency. If we're fine with the current revenue, what should have been accomplished with the other 8 mil?

I hate to say this, but I might have to agree with a street cop's POV. Allow a little, controlled crime to exist so that the big stuff can be caught. Yeah, I've been watching, "The Shield."

This side vice stuff on the golf course or in the slot-machines is petty and benefits the base. How about going after the corruption in the KGS hiring system/union or even the kickback game at Contracting Command? THAT has little to no benefit at all.