Jockey Club urged to help problem gamblers
The Jockey Club, the city's only authorised operator of football betting, has been urged to play a role in helping compulsive gamblers quit.
The Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong suggests the organisation create a scheme under which a gambler can voluntarily sign an agreement allowing the Jockey Club to ban him or her from placing bets with it.
Making the proposal, DAB legislator Starry Lee Wai-king also called for more government support to help people kick the gambling habit.
A survey by the political party found about three-quarters of those who had bet on soccer said they started doing so after football gambling became legal in 2003. One in five of the 492 respondents polled between May 31 and June 4 said they planned to bet on the World Cup matches.
Nearly a quarter of those polled said they had friends under 18 years of age who had bet on soccer.
The Jockey Club said that voluntary self-exclusion would rely on gamblers recognising the need for help. 'The key therefore is to provide effective education,' the club said. Police enforcement and a regulated betting channel were also needed.
Prevention and Rehabilitation of Pathological Gambling Association director Helen Wong said potential gamblers should stay away from temptations. For example, they should not watch the World Cup games with fellow gamblers.
During the 2006 World Cup, the number of people who sought help from the association more than doubled. 'They usually called for help towards the end of the games.'
Action by police has discouraged illegal betting on soccer. Police found HK$223.3 million in illegal football bets in 2007, HK$125 million in 2008 and HK$39.7 million last year.
