What is it about?

The study is one of the first prevalence studies of gambling and problem gambling among casino patrons in Macao. It aimed to identify the demographic profile of gamblers and evaluate the extent of problem and pathological gambling among casino patrons. We collected data from 1,352 respondents who gambled in casinos at least once in the past 12 months before the survey.

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Why is it important?

The study's results showed that the three most popular forms of casino gambling were baccarat, Sic Bo, and slot machines. The monthly median expenditure on gambling was HKD 1,845 with a range from HKD 2 to HKD 375,175. The prevalence rates for problem gambling and pathological gambling were 15.1% and 7.1%, respectively. Additionally, we found that a middle-aged Chinese man who was self-employed, separated/widowed/divorced, and living alone had a high probability of being a problem gambler, probably due to his financial and family’s independent status with some years of casino gambling experience.

Perspectives

I hope that this article can contribute to the development of Macao’s gambling industry because it shed light on the characteristics of gamblers and the extent of problem (and pathological) gambling. The information we obtained are crucial for the government and casinos to develop effective policies and programs to mitigate the negative effects of casino gambling in Macao and its neighboring region.

Professor W.M. To
Macao Polytechnic University

Read the Original

This page is a summary of: Profiling of Gamblers and Problem Gamblers Among Casino Patrons in Macao SAR, Journal of Gambling Studies, August 2022, Springer Science + Business Media,
DOI: 10.1007/s10899-022-10152-4.
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