PUBLIC AWARENESS OF PROBLEM GAMBLING

PUBLIC AWARENESS OF PROBLEM GAMBLING

10.

Mr Terry Lee asked the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports since the start of the two Integrated Resorts (a) what is the increase in the number of gambling-related problems and what are these problems; (b) how effective are the various education programmes to promote public awareness on problem gambling; and (c) how can these programmes be further improved.

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: It is still too early to say with any certainty what has been the social impact of casino gambling. The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) has commissioned a gambling prevalence study which should be completed in the second half of 2011. The study is a follow up on the Ministry for Community Development, Youth and Sports' (MCYS) two earlier gambling prevalence studies done in 2005 and 2008.

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On its part, NCPG will continue its work in two key areas: issuing casino exclusion orders and encouraging problem gamblers and their families to come forward for help.

NCPG has put in place three types of casino exclusions as part of the social safeguards. These are Third-Party Exclusions which ban by fiat all undischarged bankrupts and those on public assistance from the casinos; voluntary Self-Exclusions that allow individuals to restrict their own access to the casinos; and Family Exclusions that empower families to prevent their members who exhibit problem gambling behaviour from entering the casinos.

As at September this year, NCPG has issued over 35,000 Third-Party Exclusion orders. More germane to concern raised would be Self-Exclusion and Family Exclusion. Up to September 2010, there have been over 2,500 Self-Exclusion applications, close to 90% of which were applied after the casinos opened. The NCPG has also issued 194 Family Exclusion orders, and 163 of these were issued since the casinos opened.

NCPG works with Tanjong Pagar Family Service Centre and the National Addictions Management Service (NAMS) to provide, respectively, counseling and treatment services for problem gamblers and their families. From January to September 2010, Tanjong Pagar Family Service Centre has had an intake of 76 new clients. This is compared to 90 new cases in 2009 and 52 new cases in 2008. During the same period, NAMS had an intake of 130 new clients, compared to 210 new cases in 2009 and 131 new cases in 2008.

The more likely reason for the rise in casino exclusion orders is the greater awareness of the avenues available and willingness to seek help.

When the NCPG conducted its first Public Perception Survey in 2006, public awareness of problem gambling was only 32%. It has since risen to 71% in 2009. About one in two Singapore residents are also now aware of casino exclusions. NCPG has also reached out to about 1.2 million Singapore residents through ground initiatives such as at the getai since it launched its Know the Line campaign. In order to achieve this, NCPG worked closely with its partners such as the Taoist Federation and the Singapore Buddhist Federation on ground initiatives, which include programmes at the getai during the seventh month Zhong Yuan Hui .

Given the good work done by NCPG, it is not surprising that both casino exclusion orders and help seeking has been on the rise since the casinos opened. MCYS believes they indicate that Singapore residents are responding positively to NCPG's public education efforts.

NCPG will continue its efforts to encourage problem gamblers and their families to consider casino exclusions as well as counseling and treatment. The Council will also continue to consult stakeholders from religious, community, grassroots and professional organisations as well to enhance its outreach.

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