Press Release

Encouraging statistics for Asian problem gambling services [21.09.06]

“Asian people are less likely to gamble, but the effects of problem gambling are more damaging,” says John Wong, National Manager for Asian Services at Problem Gambling Foundation of New Zealand (PGF).

“The harm to Asian problem gamblers is perhaps more serious than other ethnicities, as they lose larger amounts of money and find it more difficult to recover their losses. The average loss for Asian problem gamblers is $4050 – four and a half times that of the overall medium of $900,” says Mr Wong.

“The statistics show that 2005 is the first time ever that Asian clients are over-represented in seeking help for problem gambling. It is very encouraging to see that Asian communities are more willing to access help in overcoming gambling problems,” says Mr Wong.

The Ministry of Health’s 2005 National Problem Gambling Statistics show the following in relation to Asian clients:

• 63.9% of Asian clients cited casino table games as their primary mode of gambling
• 78.7% of Asian clients cited the casino as the source of their gambling harm
• Asian clients lost $4050 on average, compared to the overall medium of $900
• The number of Asian clients accessing help increased from 5.9% (2004) to 8.1% (2005)

“For a majority of Asian people, there is still a lot of shame attached to gambling problems. However, some Asian clients stood up in front of a local, national and international audience to tell their stories at the International Gambling Conference held in Auckland last week,” says Mr Wong.

“It appears that Asian people are now more ready to access the free, confidential and professional help that PGF’s Asian Services provides. They only need to pick up the phone and call us on 0800 TO BE HAPPY
(0800 862 342).”

ENDS

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