Propensity to gamble is linked to cultural trait
An academic has highlighted how the concept of luck in Chinese culture drives people to gamble, and questioned the effectiveness of a government TV campaign.
Daniel Shek Tan-lei, professor of social work at Chinese University, said many Chinese people gamble on auspicious days. Based on his study of 134 pathological gamblers released yesterday, Professor Shek found 35.8 per cent of them gamble when they feel lucky.
'For example, it is common for people to play mahjong and other forms of gambling at Lunar New Year. The gambling culture cannot be changed overnight,' he said.
He criticised a television campaign in which gamblers are shown throwing money into the sea.
'We have to directly address the mentality of gamblers when we carry out public education, such as telling them statistics about the chances of winning, and also telling people that gambling is not a way to ease stress or unhappiness.'
Of those surveyed, 3.7 per cent said they gambled for the first time while aged 10 or younger, and 2.2 per cent said they had been gambling for more than 41 years.
The study showed that 9 per cent gambled more than HK$35,000 in one day. Half believed gambling was a way to make money.
'Many pathological gamblers have a distorted view about gambling, such as thinking they can control the outcome,' Professor Shek said, adding that many had low self-esteem and poor family relationships.
Some 47 per cent of the gamblers surveyed were single, divorced or separated from their spouses. The same percentage felt that gambling could help them lift their mood.
In reply to his criticism of the TV campaign, the Home Affairs Bureau said: 'We consider that the [commercial] met the objectives of putting across the message of do not gamble to excess in terms of clarity of message, recall of the message and creativity.'
The bureau said it would convey Professor Shek's suggestion to the advisory committee.
