Sumo scandal reveals curious Japanese attitudes toward betting

The sumo wrestler betting scandal currently generating headlines in Japan is also generating some interesting factoids. For instance, if those tusk-less elephants in loincloths had bet on the World Cup instead of baseball, they’d have been in the clear. And with Japan contemplating opening up its market to land-based casinos, someone in the anti-gambling crowd came up with this gem: “Everyone will stop working hard… Is there any country that has prospered because of gambling?” Geez, dude… It’s entertainment… But hey, so long as you’re asking questions, is there any country that has prospered from producing six million crappy Godzilla movies? Really? Second-largest economy in the world, huh? Go figure. Read more.