Macau reports problem gambling study
Problem gambling has grown in the Chinese casino city, Macau, according to the local University.
Macau.- As Macau gaming and financial authorities are celebrating a new rise on casino revenues, a problem gambling study was released, exposing a high growth of the issue. According to AGBrief, the amount of declared problem gamblers in the casino city grew from 900 in 2011 to 14,000 last year.
“In many cases we handled, there was a high possibility that our patients returned to gambling,” stated the president of the Social Welfare Bureau Problem Gambling Prevention and Treatment Division, Wu I Mui, in an interview with the news outlet. The local organisation focused on the issue is concerned about potential relapses and a further growth of the problem among new generations.
The Social Welfare Bureau Problem Gambling Prevention and Treatment Division explained that problem gambling specially appears when players are stressed. Furthermore, the local press revealed that among those 14,000 residents, around 30 percent is allegedly casinos and gaming companies’ employees.
The problem gambling report was commissioned to the University of Macau and released by the Social Welfare Bureau to local broadcaster TDM. The study was based on last year’s casino activities. The Chinese region of Macau is one of the largest casino hubs at international level.
