Gambling counseling cases rise, with over 1,250 recorded in first five months

Gambling addiction cases remain high, with 2,567 reported last year and 1,254 recorded from January to May this year, including a 15-year-old among the youngest cases in the past five years, a group has revealed.

Data from the Sheng Kung Hui 24-hour gambling counseling hotline and online counseling service shows that 2,567 cases were received last year, with individuals aged 25 to 39 accounting for 60% of the total and those aged 24 or younger accounting for 7%. The organization noted at the time that while the number of cases involving young people was not high, there were believed to be many hidden cases.

The service recorded 1,254 gambling counseling cases from January to May this year, a 17% increase compared to the same period last year, with young people aged 35 or younger accounting for 31% of all cases.

Data from the government’s gambling disorder registration system shows that the youngest case recorded in the past five years was just 15 years old, meaning the individual had already been exposed to gambling as a minor. Over the past 15 years, a cumulative total of more than 1,400 gambling-related cases has been received.

Between 2021 and 2025, the central registry recorded 706 cases, while the service handled 440 cases, averaging about 90 new cases per year. “Gambling problems are no longer just isolated cases, but are gradually becoming a common social phenomenon,” the service said.

More than 70% of cases involved debt, with the most common debt range falling between MOP100,000 and MOP250,000, while a significant number of cases involved debts exceeding MOP1 million.

The service found that the primary reason for gambling among people with gambling disorders has shifted from “leisure and entertainment” to “solving financial difficulties,” which has become the main driver of repeated gambling. This reflects the fact that many gamblers, despite knowing that gambling causes financial losses, still hope to “turn their fortunes around through gambling.”

The service noted that adolescents, whose self-control is still developing and whose understanding of money and risk is not yet mature, are more easily attracted to gambling stimuli. Once a habit forms, it is harder for them to quit than it is for adults, with long-term effects on their studies, relationships, and future finances.

The service previously told the media that many individuals seeking help were first exposed to social gambling during high school or university through peer relationships – from playing mahjong and betting on soccer to new forms of casino gambling.

Unable to distinguish the risks, they eventually developed gambling disorders. The service also noted that increasingly popular activities such as blind box toys and capsule vending machines can also be addictive.