As gambling grows in US, Asian-American addicts face increasing odds
- Studies show compulsive gambling tends to affect 2.5 to 4 per cent of the adult Chinese population, compared to around 1 per cent for Western counterparts
- As casino operators vie to receive up to three licences in New York City, some fear that the city’s ethnically Chinese community – the largest outside Asia – might be a target
Ah Sheng boarded a chartered bus in Manhattan’s Chinatown with several dozen 60-plus Chinese headed for Resorts World Catskills casino in Monticello, north of the city, a four-hour round trip journey he makes several times a week.
On a recent rainy weekday, he won US$250 at the poker tables – hosted by Cantonese- and Mandarin-speaking dealers – and lost US$100 at slot machines, many adorned with symbols, lucky numbers and names like “Riches Drop Panda Firecracker” meant to appeal to Chinese clients.
For years, local gamblers have travelled hours to try their luck at full-fledged casinos – those with poker, blackjack and baccarat tables and dealers – in less populous areas. Now New York State is in the process of approving up to three new licences in the heart of the largest US metropolis.
Despite the added convenience, Ah Sheng is not a fan.
“I think it’s a bad idea to have more casinos,” said the 60-something Chinatown resident, who declined to give his family name. “Just don’t start like I did. If I have money, I get the itch and have to gamble.”
Among the proposed Manhattan sites include the Times Square, Hudson Yards and United Nations neighbourhoods. That has sparked unease in New York’s ethnically Chinese community – which, at some 628,000, is the largest outside Asia – worried that a population already inclined towards gambling addiction will see poverty, suicide and family turmoil soar.
