Inside Asian Gaming

IAG JAPAN AUG 2019 72 FEATURES The DICJ has sponsored some local NGOs to conduct RG seminars in China. They have already sponsored five seminars on the mainland with one to go, so it will be six in the last three years. DICJはいくつかの現地NGOのスポンサーとなり、中国でRGセミナーを開催してもら っています。すでに中国大陸で5つのセミナーを後援し、あともう一つ予定されていま すので、過去3年間で6つになります。 OG: What are the main initiatives targeting tourists? DF: Tourists are always a main target and the major organizer (Macau Government) actually put in a lot of resources. At the border gate we have had a very big billboard for three months in each of the last three years targeting tourists. We also use the government's resources to put our ads on digital displays. Besides this, the DICJ has sponsored some local NGOs to conduct RG seminars in China. They have already sponsored five seminars on the mainland with one to go, so it will be six in the last three years. OG: How would you describe the current proclivity of problem gambling in Macau? DF: It has improved a lot. I would like to say it meets our expectation and we are satisfied now. The first prevalence study before Sands opening the first IR, Sands Macao, was conducted in 2003. At that time 1.8% were classified as pathological gamblers and another 2.6% as problem gamblers, so altogether around 4.4% of the population suffered from a gambling disorder. The most updated figures are from 2016 – for 2019 we are still wrapping up the final report – and altogether are around 2.5%. So I would like to say I’m satisfied but once again, because of accessibility, with more and more casinos or IRs opening, we need to keep up our effort, our momentum. OG: Is there any such thing as a typical problem gambler? DF: We see some statistical differences between several groups. There will be a high chance for the casino gambler and the soccer betting gambler to become addicted to gambling rather than other forms such as a mahjong and social gambling such as the Macau Jockey Club. It’s very difficult for them to get addicted, but for casino, for soccer betting, it’s much easier to develop a gambling problem based on statistics over the last 16 years. That means in Macau, problem gamblers