The Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission recently released figures from its study of self-exclusion data. The results indicated Asians and Pacific Islanders make up 19 percent of the 1,107 individuals who listed themselves between January 2010 and August 2015. Those two ethnic groups represent only 2.9 percent of Kansas’ total population.
Problem gambling expert Juan Baez told the Topeka Capital-Journal, “Asian families will gamble together. It’s sort of a rite of passage,” UCLA Gaming Studies Program Co-Director Dr. Timothy Fong noted. “Research suggests problem gambling rates are higher in Asian-American communities.” He said only after Asian Americans have “higher debts, more crime, more damage” than other populations do they admit their gambling problems. In addition, Dr. Catherine Williams, director of Philadelphia’s Department of Behavioral Heath, said, “Gambling is a problem across cultures, but some research shows that casinos target Asian-Americans.”
For example, in Philadelphia, the Parx, Sugarhouse and Harrah’s Casinos cater to Asian gamblers by offering pai gow poker, pai gow tiles, sic bo, midi and mini baccarat and Asia poker, and have noodle houses and other Asian-inspired restaurants on the premises.
Those who described themselves as “white alone” in the survey make up 87 percent of Kansas’ population and 58.4 percent of those placed themselves on the self-exclusion list. The remaining individuals on the list were Latino/Hispanic at 13 percent and Black at 8.6 percent, with Native American and Other at just 1 percent. A two-year ban was selected by 65 percent of those on the self-exclusion list, and the other 35 percent chose to ban themselves from casinos for life.
Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services Director Sarah Fischer said the report “clearly indicates a need for education and awareness.”
In Kansas, Penn National runs the Hollywood Casino at Kansas Raceway, Boyd Gaming runs the Kansas Star Casino and the state owns the Boot Hill Casino & Resort. Four tribal casinos also operate in the state.
