The percentage of Macau residents who gamble has dipped to its lowest level in almost 20 years, according to new research.
Based on a poll of 2,003 residents conducted by the University of Macau’s Institute for the Study of Commercial Gaming, the institute estimates that 40.9 percent of adults participated in at least one form of gambling activity so far in 2019, down by around 10 percentage points from the institute’s last study in 2016 and down by nearly 30 percentage points from the first survey conducted in 2003.
The study, commissioned by the Macau Social Welfare Bureau and usually conducted every three years, also estimated a correspondingly low level of problem gambling, only 0.8 percent of those sampled.
With the exception of soccer and basketball betting, nearly all the most popular forms of gambling saw percentage declines, including casino gambling, gambling in slot parlors, lotteries and so-called “social gambling” among family and friends.
The numbers could trend even lower in the future as a result of a broad prohibition set to take effect the end of year on casino gambling by most rank-and-file casino employees. The ban will cover around 54,000 workers, including some 8,000 junket employees.
The government, meanwhile, has noted that the number of gamblers choosing to self-exclude themselves from casinos is headed for an all-time high.
The latest count released by the city’s Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau shows 148 requests in the quarter ended September 30, bringing the total year to date to 439, a pace that is expected to easily surpass 2018’s total of 490.
The number of exclusion requests has increased every year since the option was first implemented in 2012, rising from 30 in its first year to 276 in 2013, 280 in 2014, 355 in 2015, 351 in 2016 and 376 in 2017.
Under Macau law, an exclusion order is good for two years and can be renewed after that. Violators can be fined up to MOP10,000 (US$1,200). Operators could face fines up to MOP500,000 for each violation.
