Are Chinese bigger gamblers than other ethnic groups? The conventional rule-of-thumb is that one or two per cent of any population is vulnerable to problem gambling, regardless of ethnicity. But one HKU researcher sees things differently.

Dr Samson Tse Shu-ki, Associate Professor of Social Work and Social Administration, has studied gambling in Chinese communities in Auckland, Singapore and Hong Kong, and seen evidence of a higher vulnerability to gambling.

Moreover, he points to emerging international research that shows Asians, particularly those in Singapore, Macau and Hong Kong, are more vulnerable to gambling than Europeans, North Americans and Australians. Two rigorous studies on gambling in Hong Kong also found four to six per cent of adults were problem gamblers.

“There is a camp of people, including myself, who argue that particularly among Chinese, there is an elevated rate of gambling problems,” Dr Tse says.

Feeding an appetite

Why would that be? Partly because of heritage – gambling is often part of celebrations such as Chinese New Year. But Dr Tse is also concerned that Chinese populations are being targeted.

He conducted a survey of casinos in the Asia-Pacific that found their numbers increased from 16 in 1995 to 77 in 2010. He also has anecdotal evidence of targeting, such as Chinese restaurant workers in Canada being offered free bus rides to a casino after their shift.

“Casino operators can see Asian people have an appetite for gambling and they build more casinos and target them unfairly. So before we leap to argue we have gambling in our blood, we need to examine how individuals and the community are targeted,” he says.

A double-edged sword

Dr Tse’s observations are based on more than a decade of studying gambling. He started in Auckland in 2000 when he was recruited to a team investigating problem gambling among migrant Chinese. They found while gambling could be a problem, it was also a social and mental activity and even a way to fit in with the local community.

“It’s a double-edged sword,” he says. “If you want to reduce harm, you can’t just say ‘stop gambling’. You have to appreciate these other factors.”

Dr Tse continued to research gambling when he came to HKU in 2009, where he recently completed a paper with colleague, Dr Paul Wong Wai-ching on identifying problem gamblers in Hong Kong at risk of suicide and familicide.

“We noticed two risk factors. One is the financial debts they owe. People chase them for money and they may be in trouble with loan sharks, which makes their situation very desperate, not to mention posing a risk to their families.”

“The second factor is that these people suffer from acute lack of sleep. They may be worrying about their debt-related problems, then they don’t sleep or eat well and it becomes a vicious circle where they are ruminating and sleeping even less. They can get so hopeless and exhausted that suicide becomes the only option.”

Awareness can reduce risk

Their situation need not be dire, though, if others are alert to the situation. Dr Tse was asked by the Singapore government to help advise on reducing harm from gambling, after two casinos opened there in 2010. Singapore has been aggressive in addressing problem gambling, such as putting up barriers to local gamblers at casinos. Most importantly, the government conducts systematic, high-profile and ongoing campaigns to maintain awareness of the problem – something Dr Tse says Hong Kong could do more proactively.

“There is a lot of information about problem gambling on the radio in Hong Kong but there is no strategy behind it. You need to progress from raising awareness to showing them where to seek help to pointing out that gambling not only hurts individuals but also families,” he says.

The problem is compounded by internet gambling, but even here there is more Hong Kong could do. Clinical trials in North America are using internet-based interventions to reduce harm.

But the most important thing is to raise awareness of problem gambling among frontline workers, such as teachers, social workers and police. Parental education can also help, too. Dr Tse says many problem gamblers started their habit when young and children learn by observing their parents’ behaviour. Hence, parents’ role in ‘nurturing’ problem gambling should not be ignored.