News Article: Majority Support Raising Legal Gambling Age to 21: Poll

English news article originally published in China Daily Hong Kong on 15 Aug 2014

HONG KONG – Nearly three-quarters of respondents support raising the minimum legal gambling age from 18 to 21, according to a recent public opinion poll conducted by the Kowloon Federation of Associations.

The survey, based on 2,052 telephone interviews conducted in July, found that one-fifth of respondents reported having gambled, and nearly half said they placed their first bet before turning 21.

More than a quarter admitted to having started gambling before the age of 18, the current legal minimum in the city.

Two-thirds of interviewees said they believed the minimum gambling age should be raised, citing concerns over early exposure to gambling risks.

The Federation urged the government to take concrete steps to address what it described as a growing culture of problem gambling. Federation chairman Ngan Man-yu pointed to low public awareness of underage betting, often conducted via smartphone apps.

Ngan called for stronger government oversight of mobile betting platforms, including those that may be legal overseas but violate local regulations. Federation secretary-general Jimmy Lam also encouraged parents to monitor their children more closely and advocated for greater investment in public education to prevent youth gambling.