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This study examined gambling behavior and correlates of pathological gambling among college and university students in Hong Kong. A survey questionnaire was administered to 510 Chinese students (302 men, 208 women) recruited from twelve tertiary institutions. The standardized questionnaire included questions on socio-demographic background, preferred lifetime and past-year gambling forms, attitudes towards gambling, perceived life satisfaction, social influence, intention to seek help, and a gambling screen to assess problematic gambling. The response rate is 86%. Results indicate the prevalence rate of lifetime and past-year gambling are 79.6% and 41.8% respectively with male domination. Many (60%) started gambling before 18 years. The estimate of lifetime vulnerability to pathological gambling is 14.7%. Pathological gambling is associated with the male gender, Internet gambling, monthly gambling expenditure, gambling attitude, betting on a great variety of games, and life dissatisfaction. Survey results have implications for campus awareness programs and future research.

This survey investigated gambling behavior among Chinese students studying in Macau colleges and universities. It also aimed to examine the relationship between problem gambling, affect states and sensation seeking propensity. A convenience sample of 999 students (370 men, 629 women) filled a self-administered questionnaire consisted of the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) (Ferris and Wynne in The Canadian problem gambling index: User manual. Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, Toronto 2001a), the 8-item Brief Sensation Seeking Scale (BSSS-8) (Hoyle et al. Pers Individ Diff 32(3): 401–414, 2002), Bradburn’s Affect Balance Scale (BABS) (Bradburn in The structure of psychological well-being. Aldine, Chicago 1969) and questions on gambling activities. The response rate is 65%. Results indicate 32.3% (n = 323) of the survey participants wagered on mahjong (61.8%), soccer matches (40.2%), Mark Six lottery (37.2%), card games (28.1%), land-based casino gambling (13.1%), slot machines (7.5%) and online casino games (2.0%). The average monthly stake was MOP $411. Seeking entertainment (18.7%), killing time (12.5%) and peer influence (11.1%) were the three main reasons for gambling. Using the PGSI, 3.6 and 5.3% of the students could be identified as moderate-risk and problem gamblers respectively. Men were significantly more vulnerable to gambling problems (X2(1) = 35.00, p 0.05). The study findings inform campus prevention programs and future research.

Objectives Game playing is very popular among Hong Kong teenagers. This study aimed to investigate adolescent gaming behavior and addiction at the Internet cafe, and to explore perceived benefits and harms associated with the activity. Methods A convenient sample of 13 male high school students aged 12–15 years (mean age = 13.6 years) were interviewed at two Internet cafes. Young’s (Caught in the net, Wiley, New York, 1998) criteria of Internet addiction were modified to assess gaming addiction. Results Internet cafes were described as a safe and ideal rendezvous for gamers. The benefits of gaming included fun and satisfaction, fostering social support and teamwork, meeting new friends and becoming sociable, boosting cognitive techniques and intellectual agility, improved responsiveness and quick thinking. Perceived harms of gaming addiction were reduced time and interest in other important activities, poor academic performance, physical harms and emotional distress, disrupted friendship with non-gaming peers, risked family relationship and financial problems. Five interviewees (38.5 %) could be categorized as pathological gamers and two were problem gamers (15.4 %). The psychological factors associated with gaming addiction include low self-esteem, a strong desire for aggressive and exciting experiences, reliance on gaming to kill time and to obtain satisfaction, coping with problems and negative emotions, and obsession with achieving higher rankings in games. The social and environmental risk factors are accessibility to the Internet cafés, aggressive promotional activities at the Internet cafes, peer pressure, family influence and early gaming experiences, perceived parental approval, lack of parental supervision, and poor family relationship. Conclusions The study results throw light on prevention programs.

Excessive gambling negatively impacts the lives of gamblers’ spouses. This study investigated stressful life events, perceived stress, coping resources and health risks of 10 spouses recruited from two treatment facilities. In semi-structured interviews, the Social Readjustment Rating Scale identified life events encountered in the past year. The 12-item General Health Questionnaire assessed psychiatric impairment of the participants who also answered questions on physical symptoms and emotional problems. Open-ended questions gathered information on coping resources. The interviews were audio-taped and transcribed for thematic analysis. Replicating previous research results, the spouses disclosed marital, social, financial and vocational stresses related to gamblers’ disordered gambling. The majority utilized both formal and informal help, internal and external coping resources to deal with the adverse circumstances. Many reported significant symptoms of physical, emotional and mental health problems. Perceived stress, but not the number of negative life events, correlated significantly with physical and psychiatric symptoms. Only positive beliefs as a type of coping resources were inversely correlated with pathology. The study findings have implications for interventions and future research.

Internet gambling was examined among 422 Macau students (240 male; 182 female) aged 12-22, who were recruited from 6 schools. Results indicated that 6.6% of the participants had gambled online in the past year, wagering on soccer matches (50%), mahjong (35.7%), and casino games (14.3%). They were attracted by the operators' acceptance of low wagers (39.3%), anonymity assurance (28.6%), and convenience and accessibility (25%). Using the Massachusetts Gambling Screen (MAGS; Shaffer, LaBrie, Scanlan, & Cummings, 1994), 10.7% and 25% of the Internet gamblers could be classified as problem and pathological gamblers, respectively. Males were twice as likely as females to gamble online and have gambling problems. Rates of participation and problem gambling increased with school grades. Survey results shed light on prevention.

A school-based survey was conducted to examine the impact of parental gambling on adolescent gambling behavior and mental health status. A self-administered standardized questionnaire was distributed to 1,095 high school students. The response rate was 84.5%. Almost half of the participants (46.5%) reported gambling in the past year. Using the DSM-IV-MR-J (Journal of Gambling Studies 16: 253-273, 2000), 3.3% (n = 31) of the participants could be identified as at-risk gamblers, and 0.9% (n = 8) could be classified as probable pathological gamblers. Only 16.7% of the participants (n = 155) disclosed having a parent who gambled excessively but the perceived harms in the family were alarming including disrupted family relationships, family financial difficulties and diminished need fulfillment. When compared with participants without parental gambling problems, adolescents with perceived parental gambling problems had significantly higher scores on the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS-21) (Behavior Research and Therapy 33: 335-345, 1995). The study results have implications for preventive initiatives, intervention strategies and future research.

The study investigated Internet gambling involvement and pathological gambling among Hong Kong adolescents aged 12–19 years. The diagnostic and statistical manual (4th edition) multiple response format for juveniles (DSM-IV-MR-J) (Fisher in J Gambl Stud 16:253–273, 2000) was filled by 1,004 students (597 boys, 407 girls) recruited by random selection of classes. The response rate was 86.6 %. Results indicate that more respondents participated in land-based gambling than Internet gambling (63.5 vs. 3.5 %) but online gamblers are 1.5 and 3.2 times more likely to develop pathological and at-risk gambling than non-Internet gamblers. Using the DSM-IV-MR-J criteria, 5.7 and 22.9 % of the Internet gamblers could be classified as at-risk gamblers and pathological gamblers, respectively. Majority (94.3 %) wagered online at home, and 91.4 % made their first bet before 18 years. Many perceived Internet gambling as a trendy (71.4 %) and safe entertainment (54.3 %). Problematic Internet gambling was significantly associated with the male gender, school grades, online gambling frequency, amount wagered and a gambling family environment. Survey results have implications for gambling research and preventive programs.

This study investigates the Legislative Councilors’ perceptions of gambling expansion and responsible gambling practices in Hong Kong. Employing quota sampling strategies, fourteen councilors were recruited to attend a 30-minute semi-structured interview. The results showed that many respondents (64.3%) rejected further expansion of legalized gambling in Hong Kong. Only two interviewees explicitly supported further gambling liberalization (e.g. casino gambling or increases in horse races). While the opponents were concerned about the negative impacts associated with legalized gambling activities, the proponents emphasized the economic benefits of further gambling expansion. Factors that might have influenced the councilors’ views on gambling expansion were identified: individual gambling attitudes and past experience in gambling participation, knowledge about excessive gambling, and views on individual versus social responsibility for gambling problems. Few interviewees considered that gamblers were solely responsible for their actions, difficulties and for their problem-solving endeavors. Most agreed that both the government and gambling operators have a very important role to play in addressing problem gambling, and would like to urge these key stakeholders to minimize gambling-related harms through improving responsible gambling practices. The study results have implications for gambling legislation, policy, and research.

This paper evaluates the impact of an awareness program for Asian casino employees. Contents of the program included the following topics: (1) Understanding the nature of casino games, and the notion of ‘randomness’ in gambling activities, (2) Examining the relationship between ‘chance’ and excessive gambling, (3) Defining ‘safe’ gambling, (4) Identifying the signs of problem gambling, (5) Deciding when and how should a casino employee offer help to problem gamblers in distress. Results indicated that the participants increased their knowledge about chance and randomness in gambling could better detect the manifestation of problem gambling, became more confident of when and how to offer help to excessive gamblers, and were convinced that responsible gambling practices would be beneficial to casinos and to patrons. The knowledge gained from the workshop was retained by participants at a follow-up undertaken after 12 months of the training. Participants’ competence in offering information and help to gamblers in distress was also maintained. The workshop also generated the introduction of a venue-based customer care project. The implications of these results on responsible gambling policies are discussed.

This study examined the prevalence of gambling involvement and pathological gambling among students aged 12 to 17 years in Hong Kong, and investigated the correlates of problem gambling. The DSM-IV-MR-J was administered to 1,121 students. The response rate was 89.3%. Sixty percent of the participants gambled in the previous year, 69% were infrequent players who bet less than 4 times a month, and 4.8% gambled at least once a day. Most (89.8%) wagered less than HK$100 a week, only 3.1% staked over HK$500, and 24% borrowed money to finance their gambling activities. The majority (78.6%) had started gambling before the age of 15 years. One-fifth (21.5%) transferred gambling payments at the betting venues, 44.7% were assisted by their parents and 19.7% were helped by peers. Using the DSM-IV criteria, 3.4% and 1.8% of the participants could be classified as pathological and problem gamblers, respectively. Significant gender (χ 2(1)=8.3, p < 0.01) and age differences (χ 2(7)=21, p < 0.01) were noted for such gambling addiction. Pathological and problem gambling were significantly correlated with age (r= 0.44, p < 0.01), gambling frequency (r= 0.41, p < 0.001), gender (r= 0.33, p < 0.01), early initiation (r= −0.31, p < 0.05), psychiatric disturbances (r= 0.25, p < 0.001), as well as parents (r= 0.21, p < 0.01) and peers (r= 0.18, p < 0.05) having gambling problems. The findings have implications for preventive initiatives.

Objectives The study examined Macau parents’ perceptions of underage children’s gambling involvement, and parents’ attitudes towards help seeking if their children had a gambling problem. The parents’ gambling behavior in the past year was also investigated. Methods This is a parent survey using a self-administered questionnaire. A convenience sample of 311 Macau parents (106 fathers and 205 mothers) with underage children aged 3–17 years was recruited. The response rate is 77.8%. The participants were asked if they had ever approved or taught their underage children to gamble, and how did they award their children when they won in gambling games. The parents were also asked if they had gambled in the previous 12 months, and their gambling behavior was assessed by the Chinese Problem Gambling Severity Index (CPGSI). Results Half of the parents surveyed (52%) did not approve underage gambling but 81% taught their underage children to play different gambling games. Children were awarded with money (55%), praises (17.5%), toys (15%) and food (12.5%) when they won in games. One-fifth (20.6%) were distressed with their children’s gambling problem. Many (68.8%) were willing to seek help to cope with children’s gambling problems. Only 21.2% (n = 66) of the parents reported gambling in the past year. Using the CPGSI, 4.5% of these gamblers could be identified as problem gamblers, and 16.7% were moderate-risk gamblers. Conclusion The study results indicate parent education should be included in prevention of underage gambling.

The prior literature has suggested that gaming venue employees might be an at-risk group for developing gambling problems. A variety of occupational stressors and workplace factors were uncovered for causing the elevated risk. However, little theory-driven research has been conducted to investigate Asian gaming venue employees’ experience of work stress and gambling behavior. Adopting the transactional theories of stress and coping, this exploratory study examined perceived job satisfaction, work stressors, stress strains, coping responses and gambling behavior among Chinese casino employees in Macau. Semi-structured interviews with fifteen casino employees (9 men and 6 women) were conducted. Many interviewees described working at casino as very stressful. Seven types of workplace stressors were identified. Most were aware of the harmful effects of work stress on their health. They experienced physical and psychological strains despite various coping strategies were employed to alleviate job stress. Many gambled after work to ‘unwind’. Using the DSM-IV criteria, one male employee could be categorized as a pathological gambler, and five men exhibited symptoms of problem gambling. In addition to job stress and male gender, other risk factors for problem gambling were also found. The study results have implication for workplace stress prevention and responsible gambling practices.