Gaming staff face challenges over ending problematic gaming behavior

The majority of frontline casino staff in Macau face various obstacles that impede their capacity to intervene effectively in problematic gaming behaviors despite having a comprehensive grasp of responsible gambling principles.

A recent academic paper carried out by Manian Wongkun and Liu Shuang, two researchers from the Centre for Gaming and Tourism Studies at Macao Polytechnic University, found that “most frontline casino employees understand responsible gambling clearly, but a few employees have significant cognitive biases.”

The study, titled “The Perceptions and Practical Dilemmas of Responsible Gambling Faced by Frontline Casino Employees in Macao”, employed a semi-structured approach, interviewing 49 frontline casino employees from six gaming companies in Macau.

Employees were generally able to identify problem gamblers, but rarely intervened proactively, the study suggested.

“Problem gambling has not been significantly reduced, whether from the perspective of gamblers as a whole or as a group of non-resident gamblers. If not handled properly, the problem could jeopardize the long-term viability of Macau’s gaming industry,” stated the study.

The reason the researchers decided to focus on non-resident gamblers in Macau was due to the lack of analytical studies surrounding these gamblers over the last 20 years, since Macau liberalized its gambling industry. It has also been inferred that problematic gambling may be more common among overseas gamblers, which the researchers sought to investigate.

Despite the establishment of a Responsible Gambling Working Group by the Macau government in 2009 to oversee and advance responsible gaming policies, the majority of promotional efforts are primarily targeted towards Macau residents, neglecting the non-resident gamblers.

The key barriers preventing staff from proactively addressing problem gambling were identified as: role ambiguity and conflict; fear of offending clients or getting themselves (the staff) into trouble; concerns about misidentifying problem gamblers; and the lack of adequate support, guidance, and knowledge on appropriate intervention methods

The scholars noted that Macau’s responsible gambling policies have had some success in terms of employee awareness, but there are substantial challenges when it comes to practical intervention.

Notably, the paper concludes that the issue of problem gambling has not seen significant reduction in Macau, potentially due to a disproportionate focus on educating local residents versus the much larger population of mainland Chinese tourists who make up the majority of the region’s gambling revenue.

The researchers recommend several improvements to responsible gambling practices in Macau, including increased employee training, clearer definitions of intervention responsibilities and scope, and enhanced responsible gambling resources for patrons.

For the scholars, strengthening staff training, clarifying the responsibilities and scope of intervention, and improving responsible gambling resources for non-local gamblers are all key to improving responsible gambling practices in Macau.

As Macau continues to develop its gaming industry, addressing these practical challenges will be crucial for minimizing the societal impacts of problem gambling.

The researchers also recommend that Macau look to regulatory approaches in other jurisdictions, such as Australia, New Zealand, and parts of Europe, that mandate the gaming industry develop robust policies, training programs, and strategies to identify and assist individuals experiencing gambling-related difficulties.

“Macau can also learn from foreign practices and impose legislative requirements on its gaming industry. The content of the legislation could include implementation standards, clearly defined responsibilities for all parties, and whether and how casino employees can appropriately intervene in problem gambling cases. Implementing this legislation would require extensive and in-depth discussion,” the study suggested.

The scholars believe strengthening responsible gambling resources for both employees and the broader gambling customer base could help enhance Macau’s overall responsible gambling practices. Howard Tong