Macau: New association eyes ‘responsible gaming’

The association was formally established yesterday, with the blessing of the powerful gaming industry, acknowledged organising committee member and liaison officer Sung Wai Kit. The government and the industry have been working to tackle gambling problems, including providing counselling services for pathological gamblers, he told Macau Daily Times.

Therefore, MRGA sees an opening for a civil group to approach the issue with different strategies. The association hopes to draw attention from other civil groups sharing the same objectives and interests. The University of Macau’s Institute for Study of Commercial Gaming is sending a representative to today’s ceremony.

And MRGA also hopes to work with other social groups such the Federation of Trade Unions, and the General Neighbourhood Association Unions, both of which have a large social network of members and resources.

MRGA has yet to draw up a comprehensive working plan but Sung said they would soon kick off a series of public education and promotion campaigns. “Every citizen in Macau, not just gamblers and casino workers, shares a responsibility and is a stake holder in the gaming industry’s present and future, which has an important bearing not only on the city’s economic structure, but also the well-being of neighbouring cities”, Sung said.