Macau underage gambling declines, survey says

Only 34.3 percent of surveyed youths in Macau aged 14-21 gambled last year, down 48 percent from 2014, according to a survey conducted by Bosco Youth Service Network (BYS).

The group surveyed 752 youths aged 14-21 on their attitudes towards gambling, and was conducted between Sep. and Dec. 2015. The findings also revealed that 1.5 percent of local youths display symptoms of gambling disorders, down 1.5 percentage points from 2014 findings.

For those who gambled, 10 percent said that their parents were not aware of their gambling activities while 30.7 percent of their parents “appeared not to mind,” the survey shows.

“The roles of parents are extremely important in the prevention of gambling disorders. It is very clear that teenagers whose parents gamble themselves are much more likely to participate in gambling activities.” said Vincent Yp Weng Keong, the group’s administrative director.

Assistant professor at Hong Kong Shue Yan University, Mark Ng Chi Ho said card games were the most popular type of gambling at 32.2 percent, followed by mahjong at 24.2 percent, online gambling at 8.2 percent and sports betting at 6.1 percent.

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