World Cup madness

It's World Cup time and Cambodia is at fever pitch. But it's not so much the beatiful game or the support of a particular team that is rousing the passion of millions of Cambodians. For many, the 2006 World Cup is an opportunity to get serious about betting - the nation's very own 'national pastime.'

It's estimated that Cambodians will bet hundreds of millions of dollars on this year's World Cup, with the majority walking away losers. CamboSix, the nation's larget betting consortium, is taking an average of 2m USD per day from Cambodians during the four weeks of the World Cup.

Every night, bars are packed with locals eagerly following games such as Portugal vs Iran or Ukraine vs Saudia Arabia, for they will bet on big matches as well small ones, often staying up late into the night to track the fortunes of the teams they have placed their financial hope in.

And that is really the problem with this 'sport'. It is a false hope - holding Cambodians hostage to fortune and hostage to fate. With many living below the poverty line and most unable to obtain the lifestyles they see in the West and in other parts of Asia, betting their limited income becomes an appealing potential lifeline out of poverty.

Many churches and Christian organizations are particularly concerned about where the World Cup will leave poorer Cambodians. While some have bet their income, others have betted cows, motorcycles, cars and even houses. The danger of lost livelihoods has even brought the Prime Minister, Hun Sen, out to publicly encourage Cambodians not to bet money or possessions during the World Cup.

But his advice goes against the grain of the culture. At the corner of every major road in Phnom Penh is a makeshift betting stall, often run by the vegetable seller or street food vendor. The obession with gambling and betting on even the smallest of events often begins at a very young age. I have seen this first hand when the boys on our road place bets of 1,000 riel (around 28p) on who will score first during their kick-about on our road (apparently the bets get higher when I'm playing!?!). They follow the example of their parents and are often seen gambling money during street-side card games before they are even teenagers.

It will take more than the Prime Minister's words or the heartfelt concerns of foreigners living here to change the tide of subtle hopelessness that has gripped this nationa, telling its people that their best chance of escaping their poverty is to gamble away what they already have.