Fishing Ponds

[Toro iskandar]

https://depositphotos.com/vector/fisher-with-big-fish-10201605.html

In some countries, fishing ponds are really popular and can turn into a very profitable business. In my country, these kinds of fishing ponds are easy to find and are spread across many cities. You pay an entry fee, usually between $1 and $100, then you fish for fun and prizes. If you’re lucky enough to catch the biggest fish in the pond, you can even win a jackpot.
There have been cases where pond owners paid out jackpots of around $1000 to $4000 to lucky players.

The question is

• Can this be considered gambling?
• If it is gambling, is it mostly about luck, or does skill actually matter?

My reason for creating this thread is actually out of curiosity. In my country, all gambling activities are prohibited. However, fishing ponds are considered legal and not considered a form of gambling. It's clear that we have to pay a certain amount of money to win a prize that isn't guaranteed.

Feel free to share your opinions, personal experiences, or any other perspectives.

Maybe some people are not very familiar with how the fishing pond system I’m talking about works, so I’ll add an explanation here.

There are two types of fishing ponds:

•Large fishing pond (or what people in my area call Galatama)
•Regular fishing pond

Large fishing pond, or Galatama.
Only opened once or twice a week. Every fish that is successfully caught must be returned to the pond after being weighed, as the fish weight is used to determine the winners.
On average, the fish in the pond weigh around 11 lbs (5 kg) to 15 lbs (7 kg), and there is only one giant fish weighing about 33 lbs (15 kg). The winners from 1st place to 10th place are determined by the weight of the fish caught and also depend on the total number of participants.

Regular fishing pond.
This is actually not much different from the large fishing pond. The main difference is that the regular fishing pond has a lower ticket price, usually around $10, with smaller prizes. However, every fish that is caught can be taken home, except for the jackpot fish, which must be returned to the pond.


This is how the ticket purchase works:

Buy in ticket $100 is distributed as follows 👇

Pond owner fee $10
Extra C (or side bet) $10
Jackpot fish $10
Remaining amount for the prize pool $70

With 200 participants:

1st place $5500 + $2000 side bet
2nd place $2500
3rd place $1500
4th place $1000
5th place $1000
6th - 10th place $500 each

If no one manages to catch a jackpot fish at each event, its value will continue to increase each week. For example, if no one catches a jackpot fish worth $2000 in the first week, the value will increase to $4000 in the second week, and so on.

[Dunamisx]

https://depositphotos.com/vector/fisher-with-big-fish-10201605.html

In some countries, fishing ponds are really popular and can turn into a very profitable business. In my country, these kinds of fishing ponds are easy to find and are spread across many cities. You pay an entry fee, usually between $1 and $100, then you fish for fun and prizes. If you’re lucky enough to catch the biggest fish in the pond, you can even win a jackpot.
There have been cases where pond owners paid out jackpots of around $1000 to $4000 to lucky players.

The question is

• Can this be considered gambling?
• If it is gambling, is it mostly about luck, or does skill actually matter?

Nice illustration, this is what we should first consider by trying to define what gambling is.

If the aim of this is to stake money in the bid to earn more and compete with other fishermen, that everyone stand a chance of being rewarded with a price, then we can say its gambling, but we must not forget that gambling first initiates staking and the potential ability to win the bet or lose it.

If could also be that they are only using this kind of fishing as a contest only, just to mark a tradition and reward the best fisherman that meets the required conditions, in this case, no staking is involved, you only stand the chance to use your skill and participate to win, which cannot be termed as gambling, but entertaining as well like gambling.

[Zlantann]

The question is

• Can this be considered gambling?
• If it is gambling, is it mostly about luck, or does skill actually matter?

My reason for creating this thread is actually out of curiosity. In my country, all gambling activities are prohibited. However, fishing ponds are considered legal and not considered a form of gambling. It's clear that we have to pay a certain amount of money to win a prize that isn't guaranteed.

Feel free to share your opinions, personal experiences, or any other perspectives.

I consider it to be gambling because you are paying a fee with the expectation of winning more. Most people who pay that entry fee are targeting to win the biggest fish because of the fun and the prize. We have a fishing festival in my country, and participants are rewarded based on the size of the fish they catch. It is not considered gambling since there is no entry fee.

Fishing requires some special skills. Some fishermen can predict the location of the biggest fish. Knowing how to use fishing tools requires skills. Someone without any fishing skills can also be lucky to catch the biggest fish. My conclusion is that success in this game would be a combination of luck and skills.   

[nimogsm]

Feel free to share your opinions, personal experiences, or any other perspectives.

Just the other day, I saw a video on YouTube about streaming and artificial bait that allows you to control your fishing rod remotely, as well as additional features such as a live fisherman who can help you pull in your catch. But there is one important condition: at the end, the fish are released back into the pond. It's quite an interesting idea and a good opportunity for fishermen who don't have the opportunity to go fishing. To be honest, I don't remember the prices for this kind of leisure activity.

[Hispo]

I believe it is a form of gambling, because of the fact people are supposed to pay an entry fee in order to participate.

Fishing by its own is a gamble as well, in which one is putting a little bit of food and one's hooks at stake in order to capture something bigger, but the risk/reward ratio is low.

In this case of what is going on in your country, it is obvious it is being done as a direct way to circumvent gambling laws... The house (in this case the owner of the pond) manage the edge by controlling the amount of fish and the side of them within the pond, so they accumulate an important amount of money before someone actually manages to get the big one.

This is very clever, If gambling as illegal in my country I would see people doing exactly the same here as well.

[348Judah]

Once we can use our money to stake and bet, then it may not really have to be fishing any longer, but any other thing as long as its a game we can play and got entertained playing, having fun and staking to win, it is gambling, even eating competition could turned gambling and the likes, we have to use our own money and play the bet, with the aim of wining against the opponent we are competing against, this is gambling.

[Charles-Tim]

• Can this be considered gambling?
• If it is gambling, is it mostly about luck, or does skill actually matter?

It is definitely gambling but which is fun and can be done by any age, not like gambling sites and casinos. Anything you pay money for like this to win something is gambling.

Yes, it is also about luck.

My reason for creating this thread is actually out of curiosity. In my country, all gambling activities are prohibited. However, fishing ponds are considered legal and not considered a form of gambling. It's clear that we have to pay a certain amount of money to win a prize that isn't guaranteed.

Your government will not see this as gambling because it is not risky at all, it is only fun.

[OgNasty]

I haven’t seen any ponds that have a gambling aspect like this. There are ponds around me that charge you to fish and you pay per fish you catch. There was just an incident in the news of kids releasing their fish and claiming they didn’t catch any to avoid fees before getting kicked out.

[Somto9Light]

The question is

• Can this be considered gambling?

Of course it's part of gambling infact anything that requires putting your money to get something back in return is actually a gamble. But on a more serous note I think these is actually my first time of hearing such, and I must say that these is the easiest gamble I have seen so far because one can make use of strategy, I'm sure that those who are deep in fishing won't miss their targets.

• If it is gambling, is it mostly about luck, or does skill actually matter?

These particular one you just mentioned is very different from sport betting that is purely based on luck, so if you ask me I would say that skill can actually work.

[Gozie51]

This looks like a festival but the difference is it takes the colouration of gambling because it involves a fee which is a pass that gives the player or "fisher man" the expectation of doubling his fee which is also a stake. For me, it is gambling because it has those factors that define gambling which is staking a fee or amount to win greater amount or lose all.

However, initially I said it looks like a cultural festival that I know of in Nigeria called Agugu festival in northern part of Nigeria, somewhere around kebbi state and some other Northern States. Agugu festival is a yearly fishing festival where fishermen are not allowed to fish in that particular river for a year so that the fishes there can grow very well. On the day of the festival, the fisher man who catches the biggest fish is celebrated. So, but there is no financial fee to be allowed to partake, just willingness and being a fisher man.

But to make financial obligation as fee to pass for a bigger price is gambling.

[Charles-Tim]

These particular one you just mentioned is very different from sport betting that is purely based on luck, so if you ask me I would say that skill can actually work.

Sport betting is about luck but also about knowing how to analyze. Although, after most analysis, a good bettor will still consider sport betting as luck because the odds are not favoring the gamblers.

Also it is different from lotteries and casino games. All these games are just based on luck. What I see about this one is that there will be no addiction and at least someone will have something to take home.

[BABY SHOES]

My region calls it... Galatama Fishing. 

Imo... this is clearly included gambling because you have to pay a ticket to participate, a kind of fishing tournament with a varied participation ticket and what I know from a friend is that he paid $1000 and if he won, he would get a Jackpot of 65000 USD - equivalent to 100 Million IDR.

Still, the government does not consider this illegal and it is categorized as entertainment, as long as it is not against the law, so maybe there is a right element where it is not considered gambling.

I added this article to the laws on fishing.

• If it is gambling, is it mostly about luck, or does skill actually matter?

For me it's a matter of luck.
But there are some people who believe that fishing has skills, including how to mix the bait, and the throw must remain targeted where the fish gather.

[Agbe]

First of all, you don’t know what to expect, you cannot tell if you are actually going to leave with a big catch but you are hoping to. if you spent an amount of money whether big or small In the hopes to get something bigger then that's gambling. As long as you are willing to sacrifice a certain amount of money just to get a chance to win a specific amount of money then that's gambling but this is different from regular gambling.

[EluguHcman]

The question is

• Can this be considered gambling?

If we can describe gambling as activities projected for fun with entry value of players as stake with probability to win and make profits, I'm sure such fishing ponds game should be regarded as gambling following that there is a prize for the winner who hits the jackpot.

• If it is gambling, is it mostly about luck, or does skill actually matter?

From my fishing experience, you will need more of skills because you must have the ability to locate the spots where the fishes are frequently found where your trap (hook) can easily be attracted to the fishes.

How to catch the fish from the hook after fallen to your trap so that you don't miss it when you have the opportunity to catch it is also a very important skill required in this fishing game.

As much I love fishing, I will enjoy this game if I have the opportunity to play it. I wish to have one here.

[rbynxx]

The question is

• Can this be considered gambling?
• If it is gambling, is it mostly about luck, or does skill actually matter?

Perhaps considering it involves money but could be just a competitive fun game too wherein the player just wanted to measure his/her skills. I wonder what's the $100 entry fee for? Is it some kind of deluxe pond for those who want to fish with high value fishes or it was designed to be that expensive because if you did catch the biggest fish you'll also get the maximum type of rewards?

[BitBakerr1]

For the fact you are paying some amount of money to participate and then you are expecting to win more money it is called gambling, in my country we don’t have this type of gambling but I wish we have something like that in my country o would have tried it out because it will be fun.
I believe those that has the pond will only put two big fish in that pond and some pond they will not even put any big fish at all and the reason why they will do this is so they can be gaining more if they put a lot of big fish believe me they will lose more.
In this kind of pond they use for gambling you only need luck to win or catch big big because your fishing skills won’t help you on this.

[panjul07]

I'm so familiar with this kind of thing since I used to play it few years ago (but the cheaper one) because fishing is one of my real life hobbies.
Can it be said as gambling? Depends on our intention when participating in it, it can be gambling if our main purpose is to win the jackpot but it is not gambling if our main purpose is to fish for fun and take the jackpot just for a side bonus.
There are even more expensive entry fee like $1000 with a chance to win some SUV cars or cash.
Whether it is luck or skill, I'd say it is both combination between luck and skills because without good fishing skill then you may lose the chance to win something when you strike a big fish.

[Cryptomultiplier]

Some regions in my country consider fishing for sports to win a price as a cultural practice that is often as a competitive activity and it aims to strengthen alliance and enforce unity among the participants representing their people.
I don't consider this a kind of gambling because you basically have to make a catch or not and the best part is if you got to catch the biggest size fish up on weighing and concluding of the event.

Perhaps this could be a kind of event that fits the Polymarket better instead of a sportsbook offering odds and having the house advantage over the contestants, which is not the case here.

[aylabadia05]

In some countries, fishing ponds are really popular and can turn into a very profitable business. In my country, these kinds of fishing ponds are easy to find and are spread across many cities. You pay an entry fee, usually between $1 and $100, then you fish for fun and prizes. If you’re lucky enough to catch the biggest fish in the pond, you can even win a jackpot.
There have been cases where pond owners paid out jackpots of around $1000 to $4000 to lucky players.

The question is

• Can this be considered gambling?
• If it is gambling, is it mostly about luck, or does skill actually matter?

If it doesn't involve betting money, then it's not considered gambling. What you're describing is people paying money as a requirement to enter the fishing area, not $1 or $100 to bet.
In this case, the pond owner pays $1,000 to $4,000 to anglers who catch fish or to those who are lucky, which means this is gambling. The $100 paid will be rewarded with $4,000. Fishing requires skill, and this is gambling that does not emphasize luck. Luck plays a small part in it.

[SFR10]

• Can this be considered gambling?
• If it is gambling, is it mostly about luck, or does skill actually matter?

Depending on the situation, it could either count as a form of gambling or not... Yes, if you'll be paying the entry fee ^{[you're risking your money in the hope of getting more in return]} and No, if you're competing against other professionals without paying anything ^{[entry fees and required tools are covered by your sponsors and considering that we're talking about skillful people in this field, luck no longer has a big impact]}.