Situated on the west bank of the Pearl River Delta 1 hour from Hong Kong, Macao has had more than 150 years of experience with gambling. In the 1990s, more than 50% of tax revenue came from gambling. Recent deregulation of the gaming sector, in which licenses were granted to three investors (one local and two from Las Vegas), will bring economic and social changes to the community. This study examines Macao residents’ attitudes about gambling, their current gambling behavior, their experiences with problems related to gambling, and their concerns for the future as Macao relies on gambling as its major economic stimulus. Findings indicate that the respondents have mixed attitudes toward gambling. The problems associated with gambling that they cited most frequently were family quarrels and the need to borrow money to gamble. The study also discusses the future of the sector and the government’s role in protecting residents from the ills of gambling.
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