Jackpot fever takes hold among students
By Israr Ardiansyah
YOGYAKARTA (JP): Anto, a student at a well-known private university in Yogyakarta, has been feeling uncomfortable and worried lately. His financial condition is chaotic as a result of his hobby of playing the jackpot with Rp 100 coins.
Since he began to indulge in his hobby six months ago he has spent Rp 6 to 8 million. Anto himself greatly regrets all this, but he finds it difficult to stop this pastime activity.
"Frankly speaking, it is hard for me to stop. I am aware that it is difficult to win at the jackpot, but, I do not know, every time there is money, the push to play the jackpot is very strong," said Anto, not his real name.
He said he often plays hooky only to satisfy his desire to play the jackpot. In short, no day passes without Anto playing the jackpot. In front of the machine he sits hours on end from morning till late at night.
Anto looked disheveled. He told The Jakarta Post that he has no spirit in life. "Before I doze off at night I always think hard how I can recoup my losses at the jackpot," he said. The next day he would be back at the jackpot machine.
Once, Anto lost Rp 2 million in a month. He deceived his parents in order to get some money. That was not enough. He had to borrow some more from several people.
In one day Anto can lose up to Rp 200,000. If he wins it is a maximum of Rp 50,000. "In 10 games I can only win twice at the most," he said.
Budi (not his real name either), a student at a state university in Yogyakarta, has been in the game for two years. Even though he is not as "crazy" as Anto, he admits to losing Rp 20,000 to Rp 30,000 in one session.
"I cannot help playing the jackpot," he said.
Budi was once determined to stop playing. Before two months were over he was back at the game. Now he plays regularly again. In one week he goes three times to the jackpot joint.
Many more students and other people in Yogyakarta, and perhaps in other cities, are obsessed with the jackpot. According to a guard of a jackpot saloon in the shopping area on Jl. Solo, Yogyakarta, a man with wife and two children played the jackpot nearly every day. Every time he lost not less than Rp 200,000.
"After a few months the pair divorced. All his belongings were sacrificed to allow him to play the jackpot. He still has a lot of debts," he said.
Machine
A jackpot machine is smaller than a video game machine. It is the size of a 20-inch TV set. For some people the jackpot game has its attraction in its gambling element. The small lamp moving electronically according to the computerized program will fall in the columns with symbols or pictures which determine the credit for the player.
For example, if a player puts one Rp 100 coin in a column with the picture of a watermelon slice, and the electronic lamp stops exactly there, he will get a credit of either 20 or 40 (in the latter case the lamp in the middle of the jackpot will burst). It means that the player can get 20 or 40 times the number of coins put in the machine.
The picture with grapes yields the least, two credits for one coin. One coin on the picture with an apple yields five credits.
Credits are multiplied in accordance with the number of coins. For example, nine coins on the picture of grapes will result in 18 coins. A player can also try his luck with the right-left button. If e.g. a player wagers 10 coins on the left and the lamp falls on the left side, he will receive a credit of 20.
Skillful players with sharp instincts occasionally win. But more often jackpot players are the losers. Some active players say it is hard to beat the jackpot.
"All things considered, the amateurs at the jackpot game certainly suffer losses. What is the meaning of winning once or twice if you lose 10 times?" asked Joni (not his real name), a teacher at a well-known private high school.
He plays the jackpot for its entertainment value although he knows its high cost. He may spend as much as Rp 50,000 to Rp 100,000 in one session of play.
In Yogyakarta it is not difficult to find jackpot joints. The jackpot game was introduced in the city some four years ago. At the time there were only a few places to play the game.
Since the economic crisis in mid-1997 jackpot joints have sprung up everywhere. The number of localities is higher than 30. One of the jackpot operators is said to have five places with jackpot machines.
In order not to give the impression of a place of gambling, jackpot machines are placed in one room with video games known as ding dong. The video games machines are usually placed at the front to screen off the sight of the jackpot machines. Jackpot joints are mostly located in busy shopping centers like Jl. Solo and Jl. Malioboro.
The jackpot business is profitable and easy to operate. Hence, the many joints nowadays. Some of them open 24 hours a day.
The profits reaped by jackpot operators are enormous. One operator with 20 machines for example can make a gross profit of Rp 300,000 a day.
"Profits double at the beginning of the month. There are many visitors because the students have received their monthly allowance from their parents," says an employee of a jackpot joint on Jl. Solo.
He says operators hardly ever lose because a jackpot machine can be programmed in such a way that operators keep winning. Only, because of the many competitors, operators get less profit nowadays. The turnover has declined.
The jackpot operators are said to have strong backing from the military, the police and the regional administration. They also have in their pay hoodlums to discourage losers from disturbing order.
Once it happened that security people of a political organization stormed a jackpot center. Not long afterwards, however, the joint started operating again as if nothing had happened.
It is very ironical indeed that amidst the present economic turmoil, there are some people making profits in such ruthless ways. It is unfortunate that the victims of the jackpot game in Yogyakarta are mostly students -- a segment of the people who nowadays carry the image of reform heroes.