The Social Welfare Bureau’s (IAS) received 69 requests for help from gamblers in the first half of this year, an increase of nearly 60 percent compared with the same period last year, among which 19 cases were from non-residents, an increase of about 10 percent compared with that before the pandemic, i.e., in the first half of 2019.
IAS Drug Addiction and Rehabilitation Department Chief Richard Cheang Io Tat made the remarks during a launching ceremony of the “Responsible Gaming Promotion 2023” drive yesterday, adding that the bureau will step up public awareness campaigns and follow-up work on the prevention and treatment of gambling disorders for non-residents from the second half of the year to next year.
Cheang said that among the 69 cases, aged between 30 and 49, about 70 percent were moderate gamblers, of which about 80 percent were residents and the rest were non-residents.
Cheang considered that the increase was mainly due to the effective promotion work by the government and various sectors of the community and the diversification of recourse channels, which made gamblers more willing to seek assistance.
Cheang also said that no serious gambling disorder concealments had been detected “for now”.
The “Responsible Gaming Promotion 2023” campaign will last from this month to December, with the theme of “Seeking Help for Winning the Future”, which will cover a string of activities such as road shows, a family carnival, board games, video creations, seminars and counselling services to enhance public awareness of the dangers of gambling addiction, and to encourage those suffering from gambling problems to seek help and find an early solution.
During the ceremony, Cheang pointed out that Macau residents’ participation rate in gambling decreased from 40.9 percent in the first half of pre-pandemic 2019 to 30.1 percent in the same period of this year, while the prevalence rate of gambling disorders has dropped from 6 percent at its peak to 0.45 percent, which is the lowest rate in the previous studies.
This photo taken yesterday shows the launching ceremony of the “Responsible Gaming Promotion 2023” campaign yesterday at the community centre of Macau Federation of Trade Unions. – Photo by Ginnie Liang
