Taiwanese gamblers bet on cancer patients

(The Star) – PUNTERS in Taiwan are wagering on a macabre game to predict the date when terminally ill cancer patients die, reported China Press.

The punters, with bets running up to NT$100mil (RM10mil), included the patients’ family members and even the doctors.

Those who wished to participate in the game had to pay a membership fee of NT$2,000 (RM200) to the bookies, who would visit hospitals to seek permission from the patients’ family.

The bookies would then take the gamblers to the hospital on their next visit to observe the patients.

According to the rules, the bookies win if the cancer patients die within a month. However, if they die between one and six months after the bets were placed, the gamblers would be paid three times their wager.

It was reported that more than 10 gaming houses, set up by senior citizens’ clubs, had mushroomed in Taizhong city.