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Targeting Asians Unfair
May 23, 2007
Targeting Asians Unfair
Exploiting vulnerable new migrants and robbing them of their dreams will not build a sustainable new business for Skycity says the Problem Gambling Foundation.
CEO, John Stansfield, says that young Asian students are often treated like high rollers to make them feel important but it all ends in disaster.
"We see young people who come to Auckland from remote provinces in China and end up broke and in trouble because of the gambling problems they develop," he says.
"It is not unusual for extended families to save for a long time to send a young person here for further education. These young people can be naïve and lonely. Often they have never seen a casino before."
"The casino is an exciting place for them. They are treated like kings and offered access to high roller privileges to make them feel important."
"Then the money runs out and they are no longer welcome. They are likely to end up with a trespass notice against them because they have become identified as problem gamblers."
"These unfortunate young people are left in an awful situation. They have to try to explain to their families back home what happened to the money and why they cannot complete their studies."
Mr Stansfield says that the feelings of shame and guilt that people in this situation are left with can be overwhelming for some while others turn to crime as they desperately seek a solution to their problems.
"A significant proportion of young Asians in our prisons are victims of the casino. This pathway to crime and prison cannot be tolerated by a civilised society - we all lose," he said.
"We had a young man in here a while ago who came to this country full of life and hope. All his money went into the casino. He turned to crime and ended up in jail. His life has been destroyed."
"Yet it wasn't that long ago he was proud to be treated as a high roller by the casino."
Mr Stansfield says that he is seeing growing anger at the casino in the Asian community.
"The casino doesn't seem to understand that this is a relatively small community and eventually they will have enough of picking up the pieces after lives are destroyed by gambling"
"Once they decide to do something about the situation the casino will be in a very difficult situation."
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