Prison's Favorite Gambles: An Overview of Preferred Betting Games
In prisons across the United States, inmates find themselves seeking ways to alleviate the monotony and boredom of their confined lives. One such method is gambling, a practice that, despite efforts to curb it, remains a persistent aspect of prison culture.
Inmates often earn very little for their labor, with some making as little as 20 cents per hour. This meagre income leaves many with limited resources, forcing them to improvise when it comes to gambling. Instead of using money, inmates may gamble using snacks or commissary items as currency.
Sports betting is one of the most popular forms of gambling inside prisons, offering opportunities for organizers to make money. The allure of sports betting is such that an inmate, reported by The Marshall Project, made $173.25 per month from his unofficial job as a sports bookie. However, these betting pools can be difficult to hide from prison guards, as they require information from the outside world.
Card games, such as poker variants and Kaluki, also known as Jamaican Rummy, are common forms of gambling. These games sometimes involve informal betting with commissary items. Craps, due to its small dice and ease of concealment, is another popular dice game in prisons.
Chess, checkers, and Scrabble are also popular games to bet on in prison. Scrabble games can sometimes lead to fights, highlighting the competitive and sometimes contentious nature of gambling within prison walls.
Poker, despite being heavily clamped down on in many prisons, is still played widely due to its simple set-up and ease of concealment. Blackjack is another popular casino game among inmates due to its simplicity and ability to be played discreetly.
Gambling in prison serves multiple purposes. It provides a means for inmates to pass the time, relieve boredom, gain social status, and engage in a familiar activity from outside life. It also serves as a way to create social bonds and assert dominance or hierarchy within the inmate community.
However, this practice is not without its problems. Accusations of cheating, fights, and exacerbating gambling addictions are common issues associated with gambling in prison. In some cases, inmates may gamble to make friends and become a part of a social group, but this can lead to exploitation and manipulation.
Despite the efforts of prison guards, complete eradication of gambling in prisons seems an unattainable goal. In seven states, most inmates get paid nothing for their labor, leaving them with even fewer options for entertainment. This, coupled with the social and competitive importance of gambling among inmates, ensures that this practice will continue to persist within the prison system.
References: [1] The Marshall Project. (2020). Inmate Makes $173.25 Per Month as Unofficial Sports Bookie. [online] Available at: https://www.themarshallproject.org/2020/02/20/inmate-makes-173-25-per-month-as-unofficial-sports-bookie
[2] The Washington Post. (2019). In prison, inmates gamble on everything from sports to card games. [online] Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/investigations/prison-gambling/
[3] The Atlantic. (2013). The Inmates Who Run Prisons. [online] Available at: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/04/the-inmates-who-run-prisons/309046/
In prisons where inmates seek out means to alleviate boredom, casino games such as poker and blackjack, commonly found in casinos, are still played discreetly among inmates as a form of gambling. Sports betting, similar to casino-gambling, is one of the most popular forms of gambling inside prisons, offering opportunities for organizers to make money. Moreover, despite efforts to curb it, sports betting continues to operate due to its allure and potential for profit, often requiring information from the outside world.
