Hong
Kong Gambling Numbers Remain Stable
As reported by Xinhuanet: "Both
the overall participation rate in gambling activities
and the overall percentage of problem and pathological
gamblers have remained stable in Hong Kong in
recent years, a Hong Kong University survey
said Wednesday.
Comprising
a telephone survey and a youth survey from March
to May, the study commissioned by the Home Affairs
Bureau assesses Hong Kong people's participation
in different kinds of gambling activities and
their gambling behavior.
In
the telephone survey, 2,093 people were interviewed
and 81.1percent of them participated in gambling
activities last year.
About
80.4 percent participated in legal gambling
while 2.1 percent took part in illegal gambling.
The three most popular forms of gambling in
the city were Mark Six, social gambling and
horse racing.
Around
2.2 percent called themselves pathological gamblers
while 3.1 percent believed they are problem
gamblers.
In
the youth survey, 1,939 students from secondary
schools and Vocational Training Council's secondary
school were interviewed. About 32.3 percent
of them participated in gambling activities
last year.
The
three most popular forms of gambling were social
gambling, Mark Six, and football betting with
Hong Kong Jockey Club.
About
1.5 percent called themselves pathological gamblers
while1.1 percent believed they are problem gamblers.
Commenting
on the results, the bureau said the overall
participation rate in gambling remains stable,
but there was a decline in the overall participation
rate in illegal gambling activities.
The
fact that some people are participating in both
legal and illegal gambling activities demonstrates
the need for continued efforts to combat illegal
gambling, it added.
The
bureau is also concerned about the finding that,
of those young people who have gambled, more
than half of them had their first experience
in gambling at the age of 12 or under. It considers
that there is a need to step up measures to
educate children in primary schools about the
risks and consequences associated with gambling.
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