Inside smoky shelters, a fast-paced, illegal card game has taken off in Solomon Islands
Summary
In Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands, a card game called Pass has become very popular as a way for people to try to win money quickly. Many players, including young and low-income individuals, join these informal gambling games despite the risks and official bans, largely because of high unemployment and few job opportunities.Key Facts
- Pass is an illegal street card game growing rapidly in Honiara's shelters and backstreets.
- Players bet money and try to play cards in numerical order; the first to use all their cards wins the pot.
- Games can have up to 30 rounds per hour, involving large sums of money changing hands quickly.
- Irene, a teacher, relies on gambling winnings to nearly match her salary, despite losing some hands.
- Dealers like 19-year-old Ben earn about SBD$500 per week, while table bosses can make much more.
- The growing popularity is linked to high unemployment rates, especially among youth in Honiara (12-15%).
- Some business owners use Pass games to help pay bills and supplement income.
- Youth advocate Phillip Subu says gambling through Pass is a survival tactic due to the lack of jobs.
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