Macau is on track this year for the lowest level of notified problem gambling in the past decade, according to statistics from the city’s Social Welfare Bureau.
In the six months to June 30, there were 25 individuals recorded with problems: all of them were Macau ID holders. Last year, there were 77 cases in total: 90.9 percent of them were locals.
Of the aggregate problem gamblers so far in 2021, 84.0 percent of them were men, and the largest-single cohort of the total – i.e., 32.0 percent – involved people aged 30 to 39.
A total of 15.0 percent of those registered was casino dealers. A further 10.0 percent had a job related to gambling.
Among the tally, 16.0 percent had been gambling for 20 years or more. Half of the total was betting on baccarat, the preferred table game among most players in Macau casinos.
Among the problem gamblers recorded, 24.0 percent were spending on average between MOP10,000 (US$1,248) and MOP50,000 per month on gambling. In addition, 64.0 percent of them had debts, with 12.5 percent of them having debts ranging from MOP100,000 to MOP250,000.
In addition, 8.3 percent of the tally were considered to have a “gambling disorder” judged as “severe”.
