Even for gambling and entertainment meccas such as Macau, responsible gambling is a very serious issue. Thankfully, authorities in the region are doing their best to ensure that their casino visitors can stay safe as they gamble. That is what the recently-launched “Responsible Gambling Promotion 2021” is all about.
The Macau Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau has partnered with the Social Welfare Bureau and the Institute for the Study of Commercial Gaming of the University. Together, they are working towards increasing the level of public awareness of gambling disorders and other kinds of gambling-related harm.
This is the second year that the campaign or promotion is running. The theme for 2021 is “Lost Control, Lose Family”. That essentially points to how vital family education is to the fight against gambling-related harm. To achieve these goals, Macau-based social service organizations will step in through the promotion of responsible gambling. This will be done using online financial education videos, various competitions, lectures, and even family financial management workshops among other things.
In addition to that, the theme of the 2021 responsible gambling promotion will also be pushed through the media. People in Macau will see those on street adverts, TV, radio, social media channels and bus promotional videos among other things.
Measuring The Project’s Success
Now, tackling responsible gambling is a very ambitious endeavor. While many of the measures put in place might be quite effective, measuring the outcomes can sometimes prove to be very elusive. However, the stakeholders of this project seem to have also thought that through.
Through its “Responsible Gambling Indicators” program, the Responsible Gambling Working Group will be able to ensure that the people suffering from gambling-related harm can get the best treatment. The goal of the program is to measure the success of the initiative by assessing the level of satisfaction. The different actions and facilities are to be implemented by the social service sector and its entities related to responsible gambling, as well as providing optimization proposals.
For the first phase of this intervention, the primary targets are the prevention and treatment centers of gambling disorders. Already, 12 units have been assessed as satisfactory after their evaluation. All the participating centers will be awarded the qualification of “Responsible Gaming Implementation Model Unit” at the 2021 Responsible Gaming Promotion 2021 Closing Ceremony. This is to be held in mid-December and it will be a great way of incentivizing even more action.
