Even in the best of circumstances, jail can be difficult, [Casino.org] so it’s not surprise that inmates find many other ways to pass the time, including gambling. {www.casino.org/blog/the-top-10-casino-games-played-in-prison/}
Prisoners everywhere find methods to gamble despite it being against the law, whether it’s through classic card games like poker or wagering at the jail “bookie.”
Now let’s examine how and why prisoners enjoy gambling.
Why Prisoners Bet
The primary and most evident reason why prisoners wager, gamble, and engage in gaming is to kill time.
Ultimately, prison is an incredibly dull environment, and a lot of prisoners will do anything to pass the time throughout the day. {www.casino.org/blog/the-top-10-casino-games-played-in-prison/}
But prisoners gamble for more reasons than just passing the time.
Many prisoners in American jails receive very little payment for their efforts.
One prisoner, for instance, was paid 20 cents per hour to enter data for the Department of Transportation while incarcerated, according to The Marshall Project.
For this labor, he only got about $24 a month.
Furthermore, the majority of prisoners in seven states—Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas—receive no compensation for their work. {www.casino.org/blog/the-top-10-casino-games-played-in-prison/}
This is a serious issue because some basic essentials, like toothpaste, are not provided to prisoners and must be purchased. This implies that many inmates may have limited financial resources.
This makes it easy to understand why prisoners would be keen to try their luck at making a fast cash.
Of course, gambling offers prisoners the chance to earn money, but placing the wagers can also be a reliable source of income. {www.casino.org/blog/the-top-10-casino-games-played-in-prison/}
The Marshall Project claims that in addition to earning $24 per month from his unofficial job as a sports bookie, the same prisoner also earned $173.25 per month (in commissary products).
His internal quality of life was much enhanced by this income.
Instead of gambling for financial gain, other prisoners use it to build friendships.
Playing and wagering on games like spades and even sports like basketball, as an ex-inmate told VICE, are strategies to break the ice and integrate into a social group.
Of course, one of the most significant aspects of living on the inside is having people to look out for you.
Most Common Ways For Prisoners To Gamble
Larry Farr/Unsplash image
Prisoners wager on a variety of items in an effort to kill time, gain money, and make friends, but a few games are particularly well-liked in jails all over the world. {www.casino.org/blog/the-top-10-casino-games-played-in-prison/}
Gow Pai
Chinese gambling is a popular game in casinos all over the world. Prisons have followed suit, with inmates creating their own guidelines to play the game.
This is essentially fancy dominoes behind prison walls. Only the prisoners can design the table markings; but, occasionally, they omit all marks to prevent their game from being broken.
Poker
Due to its intense competition, poker frequently leads to arguments, charges of cheating, and even physical altercations.
Nevertheless, prisoners will return to this game in an effort to win bets and establish their dominance over other players in the jail poker league.
Despite being strictly prohibited in many prisons, poker is nevertheless played pretty frequently.
This is so that it may be readily hidden and maintained a secret due to the straightforward arrangement of the cards, bets, and players.
Kaluki
Kaluki or Kalooki, more well known as rummy, is especially well-liked in the Caribbean and has just taken on the name Jamaican Rummy. It has shown to be a fairly well-liked card game in numerous jails.
This game follows almost exactly the same rules as rummy. The object of the game is to be the first to discard every card in your hand. Jokers are utilized as wild cards.
Once more, it’s a pretty easy game to play without being seen.
Blackjack
It was inevitable that one of the most well-liked vintage casino card games would reach this list.
Inmates find blackjack to be particularly enticing because it’s simple to learn and use without drawing the notice of the guards. {www.casino.org/blog/the-top-10-casino-games-played-in-prison/}
It also helps because it’s a quick and efficient way to trade bets and settle scores.
Craps: Craps is an obvious classic to come behind bars. Dice games are always going to be popular in jails.
The little dice can be used for a variety of games and are ideal for hiding when not in use.
Tabletop Games
While not technically gambling activities, popular games to gamble on in prison include scrabble, chess, and checkers.
One former prisoner claimed that the violent nature of scrabble games frequently led to fights.
Remarkably, even when there were bets involved, the same person claimed they had never witnessed a brawl break out over a chess match.
Sports Betting: With sports betting being so lucrative in the US, it’s no surprise that jails are seeing an increase in the popularity of this activity.
As we previously discussed, game organizers have potential to earn a healthy profit due to the popularity of sports betting.
Usually, they get the odds for the week from an outside link. Then, these are distributed to further prisoners. After then, bets are accepted, and payouts are determined by the results.
Due of the large amount of outside data that must be sent, it might be challenging for these pools to become established in jails. It will also be necessary for the guards to turn a blind eye because it is challenging to conceal this kind of betting system.
Nonetheless, given the correct circumstances, sports betting may be a well-run hobby that many prisoners take pleasure in.
Issues With Gambling in Prison
While it can be a useful tool for passing the time while incarcerated, gambling is also a major source of problems.
Gambling in prison entails large bets and intense emotions, just like it does in any casino. Regretfully, this can occasionally lead to disputes and charges of cheating.
Furthermore, a number of prisoners in any jail are there for crimes related to gambling, such as embezzlement or robbery committed in order to settle debts.
These individuals most certainly have a gambling addiction, and placing bets while incarcerated simply provides them with another way to indulge that obsession.
But in the appropriate situation, gaming can provide a much-needed diversion from the monotony of daily jail life.
Furthermore, prison guards will never be able to totally eradicate gambling, no matter how hard they try.
www.casino.org/blog/the-top-10-casino-games-played-in-prison/
