Culturally Sensitive Services

Culturally Sensitive Services
First Nations
Asian Communities

Asian

Gambling is a very popular form of social recreation among people from Asian cultures. Anecdotal reports from gaming venues in the province report a high proportion of Asian players, with the majority being male. One might assume that with this kind of involvement in gambling, there would be high numbers of people experiencing problems. However, few seek help for problems related to gambling. Therefore, experts caution against reaching conclusions based on anecdotes and observations as:

• "It may be that problem gambling has been exaggerated due to the visibility of Asians and other social, cultural and indigenous groups" (participating in gambling), or conversely;
• "The size of the problem is under-estimated given the reluctance of problem gamblers from certain ethnic groups and their families to access mainstream therapists."

Dr. Alex Blaszcznski (1997), University of New South Wales, Impulse Control Research Clinic.

There are problem gambling counsellors in British Columbia who work primarily with individuals and families from the Chinese and Vietnamese communities. These counsellors work to raise awareness of risks and promote healthy lifestyle choices.

To learn more, contact the Problem Gambling Help Line at 1-888-795-6111

Other Resources

www.afm.mb.ca  -  The Addictions Foundation of Manitoba has a booklet entitled Preparing For Change Gambling Handbook which provides information on gambling issues in Asian-Canadian communities.  This booklet is available in Filipino, Chinese and Vietnamese.