The mental health of casino workers is suffering due to a combination of workplace pressures, low staff numbers and the increasing inflow of gamblers to Macao, a gaming employee support group claims.
The Macau Gaming Industry Employees Home told TDM that 17 percent of requests its integrated service centre received in 2023 were for help with psychological or emotional issues experienced by workers, up from 10 percent in 2020.
Centre supervisor Pak Kin Pong claimed that gaming operators had increased performance expectations in recent years. He told the broadcaster that things were easier for workers during the pandemic, when casinos were relatively quiet.
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Now that casinos are once again bustling, staff report feeling overburdened and stressed, Pak said. He added that Macao’s labour shortage wasn’t helping matters.
On a more positive note, Pak said fewer gaming workers than usual reported having problems with gambling themselves last year. He credited the shift to the government’s responsible gaming policy and a casino entry ban imposed on gaming employees.
Pak told TDM that his centre would start putting more focus on helping local residents and tourists with gambling disorders, and that it aimed to mobilise casino employees to share their responsible gaming knowledge with these groups.
