Counseling center data shows rising gambling risks among young adults

[Photo: Ricaela Diputado]

Data from a 24-hour gambling counseling hotline and online support services show that 2,567 help requests were recorded in 2025, with the majority coming from individuals aged 25 to 39, accounting for around 60% of cases.

According to Sheng Kung Hui’s “24-Hour Hotline and Online Gambling Counselling Services Centre,” youth aged 24 or below represented 7%.

While the proportion of younger cases remains relatively small, counselors believe the actual number may be higher due to underreporting, raising concerns about hidden risks.

Counseling officials say many individuals are first exposed to gambling during their high school or university years, often through social activities with peers.

What begins as casual participation, such as mahjong, sports betting, or newer forms of casino gaming, can escalate into problematic behavior when risks are not fully understood.

Counselors also pointed to the growing popularity of probability-based consumer activities, such as blind boxes and capsule toy machines, which may contribute to addictive tendencies.

These activities, while not traditionally classified as gambling, share similar reward mechanisms that can encourage repeated spending.

The group yesterday released “Gambling Strategies – A Guide to Parent-Teen Interaction,” a publication based on the three-tiered prevention framework that offers practical communication strategies to help parents and teenagers strengthen engagement and address risks and challenges during adolescent development.

According to the group, “early intervention is recommended if children show signs of compulsive behavior, such as persistent spending or borrowing money to continue playing.”

Meanwhile, according to survey findings released by the Sheng Kung Hui Social Services Coordination Office last month, young people in Macau are spending significantly more time on social media.

Average daily usage rose from about 1.64 hours in 2022 to 3.53 hours in 2025, nearly doubling over the three-year period, the study found.

In the “Survey on Youth Digital Literacy and New Technology Application in Macau 2025 and Building a Healthy Macau – Survey on Youth Health Awareness and Behaviour 2025,” respondents rated their overall digital literacy higher than before, increasing from 5.71 to 7.06 on a 10-point scale.

However, weaker performance was recorded in areas such as digital ethics, online behaviour management, and responsible social media use.

The surveys also highlighted the growing adoption of artificial intelligence tools among young people, who reported using AI platforms such as ChatGPT and DeepSeek for an average of 2.3 hours per week.

About 68.2% of respondents said they were either unfamiliar with or had only limited understanding of “AI hallucinations,” where generative systems produce incorrect or misleading information.