Hustling is part and parcel of everyday life in Buenos Aires. Opportunists try their hand at anything from selling socks on the street to tape measures on the subte. If you’re in need of some quick cash there are plenty of other ways to fill your pockets but nothing is certain, especially when betting. This uncertainly, together with the excitement, anticipation, joy, and despair of gambling is what drives scores of men and women to dwindle away their savings in the hope that lady luck will be smiling down upon them. To most, the bonanza will remain illusive, and to every winner there are most likely 100 losers, but living by the sword and dying by the sword is the nature of the beast. As the saying goes: a gambler never makes the same mistake twice, it’s usually three or more times.

Hippodromo (Photo: Simon Guerra)

Hit the Races

The Hipódromo is tense on race night and the air is thick with expectation. Hundreds of punters, mostly middle-aged men, examine horses at the proximity of the ring or stare intensely at television monitors displaying odds. Some are suited and booted, others wear football shirts, but they are all serious and dead-set on making some dough.

Argentines know how to look after their horses; each beast is a fine-tuned racing machine and an impressive sight to behold. Muscle-bound and primed to race they are paraded around the paddock before the jockeys mount. A huge screen displays the horses lining up at the starting gate on the other side of the course as the announcer cries out names frantically. A momentary silence falls, the red flag is dropped, and they explode from the blocks.

The Argentine betting system is not like that found in England and the odds are displayed differently, to my untrained eye it was a confusing mass of fluctuating numbers. There is a race every half hour and not much else do to in between aside from eating a hot dog or hitting the slots but the open aired nature of the track provides a welcome contrast to the confines of the city.

The slot machines, hidden in the bowels of the Hipódromo’s main building, offer a different experience altogether. The place is decked out with wide-eyed OAPs, systematically feeding tokens into flashing machines. It smells sterile and the mirrored walls deceive, reminiscent of Enter The Dragon’s final scene. Security guards keep a watchful eye over proceedings and waitresses dressed like air stewardesses deliver drinks on sliver trays. This is an alternative, 24 hour place to gamble, but I found the whole set up is mildly depressing.

Hipódromo Argetino De Palermo, Av del Libertador 4101, 11-4778-2800.

Bingo Lavalle (Photo: Simon Guerra)

Play Bingo!

It’s hard to miss the bingo on Lavalle, a huge neon sign flashing the words in fluorescent white dominates the street. Inside, the hall is shrouded in a blanket of second hand cigarette smoke and a hushed silence descends as the announcer gets ready to start yet another round. Mostly elder Argentines, each wielding a black marker pen, tick boxes as the numbers are read out at breakneck speed. A few monitors dotted around display the balls as they are spat out the machine like empty shells from a gatling gun. There’s no “24, knock at the door” or “72, Danny La Rue” but an unimaginative, monotone “veintidós” or “ochenta y seis”.

Floorwalkers do the rounds between each game dishing out new cards for $2 a go but the place is devoid of any charm or atmosphere. A minor spasm of excitement breaks the monotony when someone shouts out “Bingo!” but the momentary delight is soon drowned out by a collective groan from those who were one digit away from winning the scoop. Again, much like the slots, I found the place a bit dispiriting and it is not so much enjoyment etched on the faces of those playing but a kind of glum, feverish determination to win a bit of cash.

It is important to remember the strict etiquette that comes with playing this game and it is ill-advised to ask questions to fellow players, the rapidity of game play simply doesn’t allow time for socialising. Fast-paced, flaccid ball-watching takes president here. If it’s that kind of efficiency you are looking for, this is the place for you.

Bingo Lavalle, Lavalle 842, 11-4322-1114.

Casino Puerto Madero (Photo: Simon Guerra)

Board the Casino

The definition of a spaceship has never been so clearly defined as in Puerto Madero Casino. It genuinely is a hybrid between an old ship and a futuristic dose of architecture. It’s a good walk from the centre, so rolling up to the foyer in a taxi seems far more appropriate – this is how most people arrive, after all. Valets and security hover beneath the huge glittering sign, and lads, mainly in groups of three or four, strut through the glass doors to burn some pesos. Inside, body scanners guard the entrance to the retired ship, Princess, and after placing keys and phone in a tray and receiving a minor dose of radiation you’re allowed in. Entry is free.

The layout is confusing and escalators dissect the three floors. The walls are mirrored, like the slots at the Hipódromo, creating an illusion of space that is disorientating and oddly claustrophobic. It could be a ploy, designed to prevent gamblers from finding the exit. The first floor is dedicated to slot machines but the real action happens in the lower deck, where the live roulette, blackjack, and other tables lie. The low ceilings make for an intense atmosphere, the place is busy and croupiers deal cards and chips with rapid hand movements. Argentines sporting gold chains, Chinese businessmen, and more Argentines sporting gold chains sit or stand over the various games. People appear happy, though that might have more to do with the bar. Big money can be made here and there’s more energy about the place than in the slots of bingo.

The reason the casino here is floating is to circumvent legislation that bans certain forms of gambling within the city of Buenos Aires – by operating in the port of Buenos Aires, the boat falls under national jurisdiction. However, it must be said that at no point does it feel like being on a boat on account of the futuristic interior, which is a shame. I was expecting a little more prestige and glamour, like the casino on board the Titanic, but in dockside Buenos Aires, functional moneymaking takes priority over grandeur.

Casino Madero, Elvira Rawson de Dellepiane, 11-4363-3100.

Lottery in Buenos Aires by total13, on Flickr

Play the Lottery

Lotteries exist on both a local and national level in Argentina and there are some serious prizes to be won. Perhaps the most renowned, La Grande De La Nacional, has been going for over 118 years, after being inaugurated in 1893. It’s more of a waiting game compared to other forms of gambling, and with lower risk involved the odds of winning are considerably decreased. Hundreds of kiosks around town offer the chance to enter daily, weekly, and monthly draws with hundreds of thousands of pesos at stake. Those who play can be superstitious, picking the same numbers each time, while others use potluck or get somebody else to choose for them. “There’s no way I change my balls, what would I do if I decided to change numbers one week and my normal numbers came up, I would be distraught,” says regular player Thomas Rocco, who heads to a small kiosk just off Av Medrano every Friday to try his luck, “sometimes I’m lucky, sometimes I’m not.”

For more information on the national lottery, visit the website or ask in a local kiosko.

Peso vs Dollar in Balance (Collage by Beatrice Murch with images by Beatrice Murch, Andrew Magill, and dynna17)

Go Blue

It’s not so much about winning money, but often it feels like you’ve hit the jackpot when converting dollars into Argentine pesos using the informal ‘blue’ exchange rate. During the last few months, the underground rate has risen by almost 25% and at the time of writing it is possible to scrape $8.8 to the dollar.

It may be illegal – and you engage in this activity at your own risk – but if you have dollars in cash you can make a big mark up compared to the official rate, which at the time of writing sits at $5.15. Opportunists fill out Florida Street, each vying for the attentions of dollar-laden tourists and passers by; some whistle discreetly, others are less obvious. A safe transaction is by no means guaranteed and due to the illicitness of the process, some degree of risk is involved. Being stopped by a policeman or falling foul of a hustler bolting once the money is in his hands are not unheard of, but there is some comfort knowing that it is in the interests of those concerned to at least maintain the reputation of Florida as a safe place to do business.

Locals holding down respectable jobs are also known to be willing to exchange currency as a side business, so if running the Florida gauntlet doesn’t appeal then it is not impossible to find an office clerk who is willing to talk money in a safer location.

For a guide to the ‘blue dollar’ rate, use this website.

Every morning, a retired lady who gives her name simply as Lucia, wakes up, makes herself a cup of mate, and completes her crosswords and household chores. Then, after lunch, she makes her way to Hipódromo Argentino de Palermo (HAPSA), the city racetracks. But she’s not looking to see athletic horses. Instead she’s going underground, to the glaring, gaudy cacophony and ephemeral world of slot machines. This has been her daily routine for the past four years and, every day, hundreds of people just like her come to try their luck on one of the 5,000 slot machines that stretch out under the tracks.

Above ground everything might be exactly as you’d expect: top-class stabling, elegantly styled spectator stands, expansive exhibition halls, and modern plasma screens juxtaposing the antique charm of century-old La Paris café. You can even watch the horse racing for free if that’s what you’ve come looking for, but what you might not have imagined is what’s taking place below.

The biggest gambling hall in Latin America, HAPSA could be Argentina’s answer to Las Vegas, except that technically it’s not a casino. Since tabletop gambling is forbidden in the city of Buenos Aires, the complex opted instead to import an incredible number of US-style slot machines.

Since opening in 2002, the machines have served as a big motor that keeps the racetracks going. How much of the profit goes into maintaining the tracks is impossible to say, but these machines are certainly big business. At least 80% of the racetrack’s 2,000 employees work in the slot machine complex, and a large portion of the funding for the six years of renovations that have recently seen completion, likely came from below. The flooring of the newly renovated arts hall cost $4m alone but has since supported exhibitions by such artistic heavyweights as Francis Bacon.

Customers such as Lucia enjoy a sense of the free flowing money simply by stepping inside. A labyrinth of red-carpeted rooms comes scattered with luminous fountains, overpriced restaurants fit for every taste and even a coffee shop with live weekend shows.

“I hope other people enjoy other things in their lives,” she says. “Me, I really like this place, because I can come on my own and leave the house for a while.”

If you want your own slice of the money that rolls around here, then all you need is luck. “I know some people who touch the machines to feel their ‘vibe’ first,” she says. “Others walk around to see which ones call to them, but, personally, I don’t do anything to bring luck.”

The biggest jackpots ever awarded here were in October 2008, when $2.9m was paid out, and around the same time in 2009, when a whopping $1.5m was won. Strangely, both came from an island of Star Wars machines, all illuminated by flashing lights and luring in potential winners with a screen showing clips from the film.

Lucia remains realistic about the possibilities: “The most I ever won was $15,000,” she says. ”But I do realise that everything I win is just a temporary loan because, eventually, it will all go back in the machine anyway.”

Open 24 hours a day, the clientele are mostly pensioners during the day with evenings bringing a more varied mix of people. Interestingly, whatever the time of day, the crowd is noticeably female. Women make up 54% of HAPSA Club cardholders, a loyalty scheme specifically for the slot machines.

There are times, however, when loyalty becomes dependence and in these situations customers can turn to Juego Responsable – a support scheme that aims to help people with an addiction to gambling. Part of the commitment involves signing a ‘self-exclusion’ document whereby the person permits the staff to invite them to leave should they decide to return.

Like several others propping up Palermo’s slot machines, Lucia plays her gaming down, describing it as a way of entertainment like any other. In the end, she adds: “I know this is a drug. It’s about the adrenaline rush and the thrill of it all. That’s what people come here for – the excitement – isn’t it?”

And we thought it was all about the flashing lights.

Hipódromo Argentino de Palermo, Av. de Libertador 4101. The slot machine halls beneath the racetracks are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with free entrance to anyone aged 18 and over. Minors are permitted only when accompanied.

Two thousand people have demanded the resignation of the mayor of Nuevo León, Rodrigo Medina de la Cruz and the mayor of Monterrey, Fernando Larrazabal. It comes after the death of 53 people in the attack on the casino, “Casino Royale”.

The protesters tried to break down the door of the mayor’s headquarters to remove the mayor of Nuevo León from his offices.

Earlier, two thousand people had congregated at the monument of the angel of independence, in Mexico City, to protest against the increased climate of insecurity in the country.

Afterwards, more than three thousand members of the armed forces were sent to the city of Monterrey to improve the security situation.

Upon arrival, the military troops installed a virtual curfew in the populated neighbourhoods of the city. There were also house raids, carried out with judicial warrants.

Users of social networking sites confirmed the arrest of two suspects in the bombing of the Casino Royale. However the mayor of Nuevo León has not confirmed this.

It is worth remembering that Mexico has been experiencing security problems since the implementation of strategies to combat drug trafficking were installed by the Mexican leader, Felipe Calderón.

Tactics include the use of military personnel in public security where the police are insufficient, missing or have been infiltrated by criminal groups.

The violence linked to this issue has reportedly cost the lives of 40,000 people since the leader assumed office in 2006.

Story courtesy of Agencia Pulsar

Put your money where your mouth is. It’s the ace of spades. Baby I’ve got your money. Diamonds are forever.

The odd suave suit, sweet jazz music, high stakes and intriguing spins of the wheel are what await you at Puerto Madero Casino. That’s if you know how to get there.

According to your Guia T it seems to be ubicado in a very accessible place. You take a walk down to Puerto Madero and just follow the docks along. An old wives’ tale claims that casinos are illegal in the city of Buenos Aires, hence why it is actually floating on a tributary of the Río de La Plata. However, actually finding the way there would certainly put some punters off.

After a good trek along the waterside on a cold autumn’s night, my freezing companions and I finally saw a few flashing neon lights; the glitzy glow of tonight’s entertainment hall we thought. Think again. There are two sets of beaming lights, some came from a mysterious building we did not manage to identify and have not seen since on further visits.

Taking the long route does guide you through a rather pretty little park. A few statues and tidy shrubs made me think about returning for a picnic one day.

Emerging from between trees I eventually prove to my friends that I really am an expert at using the Guia T. The car park is illuminated by lights in the form of playing cards, guiding us a few hundred metres towards the front doors.

I later learned that a free bus leaves from Córdoba and Leandro N. Alem every 15 minutes between 2pm and 2am. Take advantage of this service!

On nearing the entrance the clients appear to be as poorly dressed as I am. Not many sharp tuxedos and ball gowns I’m afraid. On the contrary all I saw were a few flat caps and woolly jumpers. The majority of the punters are on the mature side of fifty. I was happy to discover that there is no dress code involved.

You have to pass through metal detectors at security and if you are carrying a camera it will be confiscated. You leave it reception and collect it later. As always I was full-body-searched, but boarded unscathed.

There are four floors to the casino which house over 700 slot machines and 140 gaming tables. On the bottom two there are slots and electronic roulette. You have to insert a minimum of $10 to play, though you can spin for as little as 25 centavos and bet on roulette from $2 on numbers and $10 on 50/50 shots.

On the third it is all table play, with poker, roulette and blackjack on offer. On this floor you play with chips, although you can change them at the cashier desks or on the table. Minimum bets for roulette are $10 on numbers, and $100 on red/black or any low probability equivalent. For blackjack the rules are similar. Some tables allow you to play with as little as $10, but again, there are more expensive tables.

Up top is where the real city-slickers lay their bets. Only dollars are accepted, and minimum entry to the roulette table is US$20. To play poker you need to thrown down US$1000, no more, no less. They play hold’em but with their own twist to the rules. There are no blinds, but each player pays an ante of US$25 per hand. Betting therefore becomes very aggressive. You’ll be lucky to see the flop without paying heavily.

Craps and point and blank are also available on the third floor.

There are bars aplenty and one restaurant. A decent meal will cost you $45, and a snack such as a sandwich or a salad is $25. Drinks are reasonably priced. I bought a half pint of Martini for $10. A coffee is $6 and a soft drink $8. If you’ve been lucky, splash $25 on a cocktail from the wide range on offer. You are free to roam with your beverages and sip at your liquor whilst observing the rich burn holes in their pockets.

Despite being on a boat, you don’t feel like it. Arriving is difficult. Take the free bus or get a taxi. The clientele isn’t exactly in the James Bond mould, but it’s the winning which counts!

The casino is open 24 hours a day and everyone is welcome. It is at Darsena Sur on Avenida A.M. de Justo, across the water from Dique 1.

Photo by Patricio Guillamón

We all have our vices. They’re fun. A whole day of vice is even more fun.

A day spent in Buenos Aires exploring the vices on tap is a day worth your while. Everyone knows the bars and nightclubs are colourful here, but what better way to start a day o’ sin than through the seedy world of gambling.

The first place on this vice tour must of course be a casino. Nothing mixes depravity and adrenalin quite like casinos.

And I began in the Trilenium Casino in Tigre which requires a 40-minute train. (There is a casino in Puerto Madero but it is currently closed due to a major workers’ strike.)

Tigre and boat trips down the Paraná River are lovely, but I must offer my apologies: there’s no room for innocent pleasantries in this story. The casino is as one would expect: big, bright, crass and somewhat disorientating. Perfect.

Everyone knows that casinos, like strip clubs, can be both fun and depressing – fun if you’re on the sauce and don’t see the vague expressions or smell the desperation; depressing if you’re sober and can take note. Trilenium Casino, “The place of fun” as a sign boasts, seemed to be a second home to people who didn’t look like they came for laughs.

Perhaps they didn’t see the other sign encouraging moderation, saying: “Compulsive gambling is prejudicial to your health.”

Best to loosen up with a drink. In case I had forgotten I was in Argentina, the bartender reminded me by claiming he had no change for a hundred pesos, then short changing me by one peso to hoard precious coins.

It’s not the amount; it’s the principle, and I consider myself a man of principles, even though I was currently drowning in vices. I tried to fight for my peso, which is US$0.31, 0.20 Euros or 15 British pence, but I soon realised this place was practiced in this sort of stuff, and I started my gambling already one peso down before even buying my chips.

But the show must go on, so I hit the roulette table. One hour later, with a bit of control and a lot of luck, I was 300 pesos up.

I left happy and with the extra 300 (err, 299) pesos in my back pocket, forgetting all about the gamblers who flouted the moderation rule or the barman who stole my precious peso.

Photo by Patricio Guillamón

My day of sin was far from over as I returned to the capital for a flutter at the horse races. This proved to be a completely different experience; the Palermo Hippodrome is a modern, classy venue. Whereas the casino had a certain feeling of depravity (which is, after all, part of the fun), the atmosphere at the races was relaxed. No alcohol is served at the hippodrome. Compare this to the fact that some casinos serve free alcohol (for obvious reasons) and the distinction becomes clearer.

The races take place every half hour, so most of my time was spent sitting around outside enjoying the weather, the company and the occasional jockey that would ride past on his way to the starting boxes.

I lost on every race. It didn’t matter. I had bet a symbolic amount just to give me someone to cheer for and the pleasure was all in the excitement of the races. One horse who I had backed to win (it had a British father!) was in a three-way photo finish and the buzz of waiting with the crowd to see which horse had nicked it was worth much more than the cash I’d put up.

So when at 10pm the final horse had passed the finishing post and the floodlights had been turned off, I left the hippodrome thoroughly satisfied and with every intention to return. The horses, the excitement of the races, and even the little tables on the grass made it a fantastic night out. Sure, it was gambling, but it was also a laid-back family atmosphere.

A day only has so many hours and an article so many words, so for the people with an unquenchable thirst for vice, here is a little extra:

Photo by Mateo Hinojosa

Sin Bin:

Scoff that pesky deadly sin and dig in at an all-you-can-eat. My personal favourite: Brochette, Av. Santa Fe

Drink yourself into a stupor and get up to all things sinful at the Millhouse Youth Hostel, Hipólito Yrigoyen 959. Possibilities range from merely risqué to sheer bedlam.

Go to Belle pop on a Saturday night. Yes, it’s more alcohol, but sin and booze are definitely from the same gene pool. The cheap alcohol and friendly people (men and women!) can be found at Piedras 728.