Macau govt launches study on locals’ gambling

Jul 21, 2016 Newsdesk Latest News, Macau, Top of the deck  

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The Institute for the Study of Commercial Gaming at University of Macau will be conducting a study on Macau people’s participation in gambling activities. The study was commissioned by Macau’s Social Welfare Bureau in a bid to help the government better to plan its services to prevent and treat gambling disorders, the bureau said on Monday in a statement.

A telephone survey will be conducted among Macau residents aged 18 or above. The survey will be conducted from July 20 to August 19, the bureau added.

The survey will mainly look at the participation of Macau residents in gambling activities; their views towards different gambling activities; their understanding of gambling disorders and the prevalence of gambling disorders among Macau’s population, according to the statement.

The Social Welfare Bureau has in previous years conducted similar surveys and reports regarding problem gambling in Macau. It is also the government department that issues an annual report of the city’s “Central Registry System of Individuals with Gambling Disorder” – a system that the government uses to gather statistical information about the problem gamblers that seek help, in a bid to understand their gambling habits and behaviour.

A total of 147 people were registered with the central system in 2015, according to the bureau’s latest annual report. About 20 percent of the employed people seeking government help are casino dealers, the report showed.

According to the report, about 80 percent of the problem gamblers had debts; and among those in debt, 60 percent stated that their debts amounted to MOP100,000 (US$12,513) or more.

Most of the problem gamblers said their casino game of choice was baccarat, followed by slot machines and sic bo, the report said.

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