Book Shop, seeking books on why people gamble. He was trying to understand how Americans perceive Japanese gamblers. There are 18,000 gambling halls in Japan. The high rollers do not need the money, in the sense that you or I need the money. I asked our Japanese visitor what other forms of gambling were legal in his country.
Horse racing is big, along with motorboat and bicycle races all conducted on a pari-mutuel basis.
Lotteries are growing in popularity. I sense the Japanese are observing the massive payoffs American lotteries with their Powerball gimmick and the big state and regional takeouts. But times are changing. The question may well be how long the Japanese will be willing to see their own people visiting places like Nevada, Atlantic City or Europe while leaving millions at gaming tables elsewhere.