The Sunday Mail recently reported: "Accountant robbed $2m from 85 super funds to fuel his gambling habit". To lose $2 million of other people's money the accountant placed more than 67,000 Sportsbet bets in three years! He was sentenced to 7 years.

Years ago Investigator regularly promoted the message that to gamble when the odds are against you will usually lead to loss. To expect otherwise — to expect to control chance and be "lucky" — is a foolish, anti-science, paranormal expectation.

Investigator used to list news reports about people who stole or robbed to make more bets and ended up in prison.

The series of articles stopped because the truth of the message became so obvious that it didn't need further repetition when so much else was being investigated.

The present article, therefore, is a short reminder that the science of mathematics, including probability, is still correct and losers are still losing:

Back in 1993 The Advertiser reported: "A Gold Coast solicitor who swindled 18 clients of more than $3 million to feed a $100 million gambling habit was sentenced yesterday to 10 years' jail." The solicitor had previously been "a person of singular intelligence and virtue and a prize-winning law graduate".

In Perth, a former bank manager stole $3.7 million from his bank over a period of 1½ years and lost most of it on electronic gaming machines in casinos. He was jailed for 5½ years. (The Australian 2019)

Clarke (2002)  reported:  "Half South Australia's 21,000 gambling addicts may have stolen to fuel their habit…"

Talara McHugh, reporting in the Sunday Mail (2024) about sports gambling, writes that more than $424m was lost in South Australia in the last financial year!

On the same page Michael McGuire reports that South Australians have lost $19.7 billion "on pokies since they were legalized 30 years ago..." A new annual record of $956m lost on pokies was set in 2023-24.

Of the $19.7bn lost during 30 years, the government got $7.8bn in taxes, the venues got $11.9bn, and the losers got poorer.

Legislation to introduce poker machines was passed in 1992 when the upper house voted 11 to 10. The machines began operating in 1994.

Since that time many players have lost not only their money but also their job, family, house and freedom (by imprisonment), and a few even their life by suicide.

"No pokies" MP Nick Xenophon entered parliament in 1997 with the mission to eradicate pokies. He failed, but continues the fight.

Clarke, C. Gambling addicts stealing to play, Sunday Mail, August 4, 2002, p. 8

 McGuire, M. Pokies Play At Record Levels, Sunday Mail, July 28, 2024, p. 10

 McHugh, T. Punters urged to go easy, Sunday Mail, July 28, 2024, p. 10

 Rutherford, R. Accountant robbed $2m from 85 super funds to fuel his gambling habit, Sunday Mail, July 28, 2024, p. 25

—————— Money Man's Failed Gamble, August 25, 2024, p. 26

 The Advertiser, November 10, 1993, p. 6, Solicitor took $3m for gambling habit

 The Australian 2019, September 22, p. 17                                                                                                                             (BS)