PROBLEM GAMBLERS

PROBLEM GAMBLERS

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(Intervention programmes): **

34.

Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports (a) what are the early intervention programmes available to help those at risk of becoming addicted to gambling; (b) what are the numbers of addicted gamblers who are currently under the Community Addictions Management Programme or other schemes offered by Voluntary Welfare Organisations; and (c) whether problem gamblers are also common victims of unlicensed money-lending activities.

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: A study done by MCYS in February 2005 found that about 2.1% of the adult population were probable problem gamblers.

To address problem gambling, the Government had announced a national framework which included the setting up of the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG). Since its formation in August 2005, the Council has worked with MCYS to develop a three-tier framework to address problem gambling.

The first tier involves training workers in the community and social service sector to identify individuals or families facing problem gambling issues and motivate them to seek specialised help. So far, a total of 192 staff from over 100 social sector agencies, including the various Family Service Centres and CDCs, have undergone this training. Further rounds of training have been planned for the rest of 2007.

The second tier of help is provided by specialised community-based centres operated by Thye Hua Kwan Moral Society and Care Corner Counselling Centre. These two social services agencies were appointed by NCPG and MCYS in September 2006 to pilot intervention services for pathological/problem gamblers (PPGs) and their families at the community level. This involves counselling for gamblers with moderate problems who do not require medical treatment services at the Community Addictions Management Programme (CAMP), organising support groups for PPGs and their families, as well as linking them up with other social services where necessary. From September 2006 to February 2007, the two pilot centres saw a total of 102 cases of problem gamblers, or affected family members.

At the third tier, CAMP at the Institute of Mental Health provides medical treatment to persons with multiple addictions and psychiatric issues. CAMP saw 66 new cases in 2006 and 10 new cases from 1st January to 31st March 2007.

The NCPG also emphasises preventive education measures. The Council aims to raise awareness of problem gambling through the mass media as well as through ground-up initiatives by community groups that bring messages on problem gambling to the

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heartlands. The Council is also working with youth and social service groups to raise awareness of students and youths about problem gambling.

The Honourable MP has also asked if problem gamblers are victims of unlicensed moneylenders, or as they are more commonly known, loan sharks. The 2005 MCYS study cited earlier found that 1.4% of all respondents had borrowed from loan sharks. Of these, 79% admitted to having borrowed from loan sharks to pay off gambling debts. Anecdotal evidence provided by Police and Prisons of arrested loan sharks also suggests that a substantial proportion of those who borrowed from loan sharks were gamblers.

On 23rd January this year, Associate Professor Ho Peng Kee, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Home Affairs, in answer to a question from the Honourable Mr Wee Siew Kim informed the House that the Police has in place a comprehensive range of measures against unlicensed moneylenders. The key ones include enhanced penalties in the Moneylenders Act, confiscation of assets of unlicensed moneylending syndicates, use of the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act against syndicate members whenever necessary, and the formation of a dedicated Anti-Unlicensed Moneylending Taskforce in the Criminal Investigations Department.

Moving forward, the NCPG and MCYS will continue to work with its partners to build capability in social services to address gambling addiction. NCPG will also continue its preventive and public education work to raise awareness of problem gambling.

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