Social Welfare Bureau (IAS) President Wilson Hon Wai said in a speech during yesterday’s kick-off ceremony that the proportion of local residents engaging in gambling dropped from 59.2 percent in 2007 to 30.1 percent in 2022, which was the lowest rate recorded in comparable surveys in Macau, according to a survey released by the University of Macau (UM) in 2022.
Hon made remarks during the “Responsible Gambling Promotions Kick-off Ceremony”, which was held at the Dolby Cinema in Studio City.
Meanwhile, residents’ awareness of “responsible gaming” rose from 16.2 percent in 2009 to 64.9 percent in 2023, which reflected increasingly rational public attitudes toward gambling, indicating that the gaming industry is progressing toward healthy and sustainable development, Hon said, without mentioning the survey behind the data.
The kick-off ceremony, organised by the Social Welfare Bureau (IAS) in conjunction with the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) and University of Macau’s Institute for the Study of Commercial Gaming, marked the start of a raft of activities to be held from this month until December, such as roadshows, themed camps, competitions, seminars, workshops, promotional activities for counselling services and others, focusing on youth engagement.
The activities will be held at gaming venues and community facilities.
The six-month-long string of activities, themed “Asking for support for a better future”, to be held together with gaming operators and prevention institutions, aim to enhance young people and the general public’s correct understanding of gambling disorders and responsible gaming, while encouraging affected individuals to seek help proactively through various channels.
For more information about the activities, please visit the IAS Resilience Centre for Problem Gambling Prevention and Treatment Division’s website https://iasweb.ias.gov.mo/cvf/en/news.jsp.
This photo shows the proportion of residents engaged in gambling dropping from 59.2 percent in 2007 to 30.1 percent in 2022, during yesterday’s “Responsible Gambling Promotions Kick-off Ceremony” at the Dolby Cinema in Studio City. – Photo: Ida Cheong
