SINGAPORE: The casinos are not the "biggest challenge" when it
comes to dealing with problem gambling here, said Acting Minister for
Community Development, Youth and Sports Chan Chun Sing.
"You have
Internet gambling ... It's not just about casinos. If you want to
tackle the gambling issue, you have to look holistically across all the
factors that are driving this," Mr Chan said.
A more "focused"
approach would be taken to pre-empt the problem and prevent the
vulnerable from turning into pathological gamblers, he added
Mr
Chan singled out the elderly and low income as groups of people closest
to his heart when it comes to dealing with gambling issues.
As of June, 47,178 people have been excluded by the National Council of Problem Gambling from entering the local casinos.
Of this figure, 613 of them are family exclusion orders while 18,049 are self-exclusion orders.
The rest are third-party exclusion orders.
According
to a Singapore Medical Journal article in June, people who sought
treatment for pathological gambling at the National Addictions
Management Service in recent years were younger, more educated and
involved more non-Chinese patients.
More than 60 per cent of the recent cohort of patients had reported football betting as their main gambling problem.
Less than one-third of the pathological gamblers in the study had reported casino gambling as their most problematic activity.
Researchers,
however, warned that their numbers might increase in the future, "now
that it is no longer necessary to travel outside of Singapore to engage
in this form of gambling".
- TODAY/wk
Even there's no casino, there's always Toto, 4D, race betting, soccer betting...
Then there's underground casino or illegal 4D around.
online football gambling is a serious problem.
4d and toto not so coz it has been around for a long long time.
for casino - at least you can banned someone.
Just to share. I was once a heavy gambler. Mainly gambled in casino ship(LW and online), online poker, soccer betting and speculating stocks. Other smaller bets are 4D, Big Sweep, ToTo, mahjong. Being gambling addict does`t really realize that the money is slowly slipping away. I estimated that my entire losses is nearly $100k in a span of 6 - 7 years. Each adventure cost about $3k - $5k, and when the adventure ends, I will ponder what went wrong and then conjure up another winning strategy, and the new adventure begins. Not only lost in money, I also lost so much time and youth, and the chance to get to know girls and get married. There was a time when I realized that I have less than $50 in my bank account. This puts a big dent in my self confidence and it will last a long time. I lost friends because I feel I did not achieve as much as they did.
Fortunately, I did not borrow money to recoup, unlike some others. I started to regain control of myself by limiting to a small amount to gamble per month. This is extremely difficult, because there is always a voice inside to try to break this rule. At first, I relented and lost control a few times, but now I am ok. I still love gambling and the thoughts of gambling comes every single day, but I am determined to limit it to $300 per month, and it is working out ok. I hope those people who are out of control can stop and think clear what they are losing in life, and do some self correction. I also applaud those who can entire threw the bad habit out of their lives, because I still cannot do it.
Is gambling the problem, or the lack of money the problem.
Would there be a problem if there was sufficient money. A multi millionaire gambles but cannot stop, but can return time and time again because he has sufficient funds. Does he not have a problem also. Do we say he is rich, so we don't give a damn about him. We don't give a damn about him because he do not go to the loan sharks and get additional problems. He do not cause trouble.
"Mr Chan singled out the elderly and low income as groups of people closest to his heart when it comes to dealing with gambling issues."
The problem is irresponsibility from this group that is attributed to gambling. It is the same as greed that give rise to irresponsible acts. It is when you have not enough money, and you make a decision about what to do about it. Budget, get more money honestly, or steal, borrow and borrow. Does it affect the family adversely. If it does not is gambling still a problem.
So is gambling the problem, or the consequences of the lack of money.
How about ban online gambling? Block it just like block the prono site?
As for casinos, either push up the enterence fees to $200 to $250 to deter gamblers from going. Increase the annual fees too.
Originally posted by WayneKwek:Just to share. I was once a heavy gambler. Mainly gambled in casino ship(LW and online), online poker, soccer betting and speculating stocks. Other smaller bets are 4D, Big Sweep, ToTo, mahjong. Being gambling addict does`t really realize that the money is slowly slipping away. I estimated that my entire losses is nearly $100k in a span of 6 - 7 years. Each adventure cost about $3k - $5k, and when the adventure ends, I will ponder what went wrong and then conjure up another winning strategy, and the new adventure begins. Not only lost in money, I also lost so much time and youth, and the chance to get to know girls and get married. There was a time when I realized that I have less than $50 in my bank account. This puts a big dent in my self confidence and it will last a long time. I lost friends because I feel I did not achieve as much as they did.
Fortunately, I did not borrow money to recoup, unlike some others. I started to regain control of myself by limiting to a small amount to gamble per month. This is extremely difficult, because there is always a voice inside to try to break this rule. At first, I relented and lost control a few times, but now I am ok. I still love gambling and the thoughts of gambling comes every single day, but I am determined to limit it to $300 per month, and it is working out ok. I hope those people who are out of control can stop and think clear what they are losing in life, and do some self correction. I also applaud those who can entire threw the bad habit out of their lives, because I still cannot do it.
2 of my friends lost around 250k each trading margin in stocks.
they sold their flats to cover the losses.
but then gamblers dont learn. i heard they are still in debt.
sigh...
If for example, a person is addicted to gambling, and he constantly wins, and is very rich. But he can't stop gambling. Is this not also problem gambling? Does ne need to be treated?
Originally posted by DailyFreeGames.com:Being an addict myself, I can explain why it’s a problem.
During a period, I cannot think of anything except gambling. It comes to a point it almost ruin my life. I can’t focus on work, I make excuses to skip meetings and go home to gamble online. I went MBS and Sentosa a few times until I lost alot and then I went for self exclusion.
But the emotional highs of gambling is like taking drugs. I took drugs before so I also know how taking drugs feel like. It makes you very happy during the period, but once you lost all the money, then the sunken feeling sinks in. During the period itself, you won’t feel sad or anything, you feel energized and hyper, very happy moment.
When you are bored, then there can never be anything like such moments to perk you up.
The problem comes in when you don’t have any discipline. And that’s my problem. I make $100, I will gamble $50 for example. The loss I made can buy another house already but it’s lost away.
And addicted gamblers cant think properly… only after they lost everything, and borrow and go into debts, then the full weight of the problem hits them. They feel they are loseless and no way out. (but if they win then they feel super obviously)... when they lose everything in a moment when it took so long to save all those money, then they feel they let everyone down and therefore ending their lives some of them.
Agree. Being indulged in gambling, the person will also put the games at 1st priority. Not only career suffers, family is also neglected. I remembered my parents just wanna have a converstation with me, but I was in the middle of a poker online tournament, so cannot stop. So I always give a yes no answer and glued my eyes on the screen, or give impatient replies to show hat I am busy! Looking back, they must be hurt by my unwillingness to commute. By the way, I feel my parents are the best in the world. I will definitely be filial to them and take good care of them now that they are old. :)
Originally posted by WayneKwek:Agree. Being indulged in gambling, the person will also put the games at 1st priority. Not only career suffers, family is also neglected. I remembered my parents just wanna have a converstation with me, but I was in the middle of a poker online tournament, so cannot stop. So I always give a yes no answer and glued my eyes on the screen, or give impatient replies to show hat I am busy! Looking back, they must be hurt by my unwillingness to commute. By the way, I feel my parents are the best in the world. I will definitely be filial to them and take good care of them now that they are old. :)
Which is the most addictive game for you? For me, its confirm online poker. The urge still quite strong, haha. I even self exclude myself in several poker rooms (Titan, PartyPoker, Ladbrokes).
The others are no problem in controlling and in descending order are soccer betting, ToTo, mahjong, live dealer casino (blackjack). Totally no interest in landed casino, horse racing and slots.