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February 4 - The game of fahfee, which originated in China, has been part of the gambling scene in South Africa since 1911, where it was first played by miners. Fahfee is a lottery-type game, calling on participants to bet on a number from 1 through to 36, with payouts made if the player guesses the lucky number on a 1:28 dividend.
Fahfee is very much a street game in South Africa, played under trees or outside makeshift stores around Gauteng and Limpopo. Designated fahfee areas, which attract around 50 players on average, are controlled by an operator who employs runners to the take bets and collect the money. Operators oversee a run of 36 fahfee points and cover the route in protected vehicles in order to collect the money from the runners and pay out any winnings.
Authorities believe that operators make an average of R200 per draw, or a total of R14,000 a day based on two draws a day at each area. The Limpopo Gambling Board believes that the 15 major operators in the region alone turn over millions of rands each month in fahfee games.
Casual fahfee players see nothing wrong with taking part in the game, especially since wagers can start as low as 5c. "With my winnings, I am able to buy something special (cake, cooldrinks, etc.) for the family at the spaza shop," said one regular player.
Several years ago, a number of illegal fahfee operators applied to the Gauteng Gambling Board to legalize this pastime and issue them with licenses. However, the application was turned down, citing the difficulty in regulating such a widespread game that takes place in such informal settings.
Critics of illegal fahfee say that the game leads to crime, including police corruption, as well as problem gambling. Nevertheless, fahfee remains an integral part of the cultural set up of millions of South Africans today.
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