The cliche of a despondent gambler playing in the shadows could not be further away from this Singaporean who shares gambling advice, his winnings and his acts of charity online. 

Giving himself the pseudonym Mave Mason, this baccarat player of 15 years started posting videos on TikTok in August and already has amassed over 5,000 followers.  

In one of his more popular videos – garnering almost 60,000 views and over 200 comments – he claims to have won $67,000 in four hours at the casino.

"The biggest misconception is that people think they can walk into the casino and walk out a millionaire," the 38-year-old, who said he works in a senior management role at a research equities company, told AsiaOne.

"Patrons should go in, set a reasonable target, then walk out. If they bring in $2,000, they should be happy walking away with $300," he said, advocating safe and smart gambling.

In his video titled "Four Things Winners Don't Do In The Casino", he dishes out tips such as not using the casino as a place to socialise and not making impulsive decisions under the influence of alcohol.

"The casino may seem fun in the beginning, but it'll slowly and softly kill you," he said, adding the National Council on Problem Gambling's hotline in his TikTok videos.

"Before you know it, you're in big trouble."

Gamble and give

Twenty years ago, Mason started dabbling in gambling after he saw his parents losing money and wanted to "take revenge" for them.

He started reading professional gambling books — which he found "not too much of a help" — and lost a lot of money in the beginning.

"I am a very analytical person to begin with. I learn everything by myself and I've got no mentor," he added.

Mason honed his skills and managed to put together a winning strategy that has worked for him till today.

When he was living in Shenzhen in 2016, he travelled — six hours to and fro — to Macau five times a week to play baccarat. He did this for three years, saying it was worth it because he loved the game and it was paying his bills.

These days, Mason gambles four times a week in local casinos, keeps each session under 35 minutes and claims to win, on average, 10 to 15 per cent of his usual bankroll of $20,000.

"But I did not say that I win every visit," he clarified.

To him, amateur gamblers are unsure of a few things such as game rules, bet sizing, probability and time management.

Besides his TikTok account, which was created to spread his #GambleAndGive movement, Mason also has a Discord server. The community of over 600 users mainly discuss baccarat and blackjack gaming strategies. 

His main message in the welcome channel remains the same: please practise responsible gaming. And pay it forward by using part of your profits and time to give back to society.    

Pay it forward

Single mother of two Zoey Lim, 26, recently reached out to Mason on TikTok asking for help. According to his TikTok video, she fled Malaysia with her children to escape her abusive husband, without any money or job.

"He is my saver [sic] when I was in trouble that time," she told AsiaOne via Discord. He gifted Lim a combined sum of $3,000, donated from himself and others.

Meanwhile, David, who only gave his first name and is the owner of CS Bird Nest, said he was inspired by Mason's act of giving, and he has since donated diapers and laptops to a beneficiary as well as bird's nest products worth thousands of dollars to auction for charity.

"The inspiration had nothing to do with gambling, although I do gamble once in a while for entertainment," the 39-year-old told AsiaOne.

For Mason, his TikTok account is for bringing awareness to giving.

"I was surprised to find out that we have Singaporeans who need to skip meals on a daily basis because of financial problems," he said, noting that he's received an "overwhelming" amount of messages asking for help.

When asked how much of his earnings go to charitable projects, he said it ranges from 30 to 70 per cent, and he has given out around $20,000 so far.

Mason told AsiaOne that he has criteria for selecting those who get financial help but said: "If I reveal them here then everyone would be able to fake those criteria when approaching me."

On Oct 2, he announced on his Discord server that he is stopping all charitable projects after receiving a private message from someone who is threatening to end her life if he doesn't give her money.

"Honestly, I am not stopping. I'm just putting that in public so that I won't receive overwhelming amounts of messages for help," he said. "I am only one person doing this, my hands are very full right now."

While he continues to roll the dice in casinos to help those in need, his big advice to gamblers: don't go to the casino.

"If they really want to look for a place of fun, go to the pubs or go to Universal Studios and sit in a roller coaster." 

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zakaria@asiaone.com

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