Jueteng
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Jueteng (pronounced hwe-teng) is an illegal numbers game played in the Philippines. Jueteng originated from China and means "flower" (jue) and "bet" (teng). Although illegal, it is a widely popular game with participation that crosses most, if not all social and economic boundaries, played by rich and poor alike. With long odds and no limits on minimum or maximum bets, the lure of quick riches through a lucrative payout is by far its strongest appeal.
[edit] The game
The game relies heavily on having a large number of wagers, and there is no limit to the amount of the bet(s). Usually the gambler selects two numbers from 1 through 38, and the winning number is determined by selecting a pair of numbers from two sets of 38 numbered balls. Thus the theoretical odds of winning on any one play are one in 38 X 38 or 1/1369 with payout of 1:800. This is unlike the numbers games in the U.S. during the early part of the 20th century, where the last digit of the winning pay out or the number of the winning horse for three consecutive races determined the winning combination.
[edit] Small Town Lottery
Although much has been done to curtail or eradicate this form of unregulated gambling by government and community leaders, it appears that such efforts have fallen by the wayside due to its vast popularity, and the poverty which cripples the country. Ironically, in the 80s, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) once sanctioned and operated a similar game, called "Small Town Lottery," which spawned the popularity of the game.
[edit] Scandals
Jueteng was brought to notoriety in 2000 during the impeachment proceedings of deposed Philippine President Joseph Estrada, who was eventually found guilty of plunder on 12 September 2007 after receiving millions in illegal payoffs, including from gambling profits. Another political scandal erupted in June 2005 involving allegations that relatives of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo received payouts from jueteng operators.On 2010, some politicians, such as the now Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Senator Jinggoy Estrada however, proposed that the jueteng must be legalized and taxed so that its profits will go to the government. The newly-installed administration of President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino, III rejected the proposal to legalize jueteng and instead, he directed the Department of Interior and Local Government and the Philippine National Police to formulate a comprehensive plan to combat and to end the operations of jueteng in the Philippines.
