Escape or choose to stay, the gambling behavior of gamblers from mainland China to Macau during COVID-19 (Preprint)

Abstract

The behavior of gamblers during the COVID-19 pandemic has changed, accompanied by other factors such as current travel restrictions. Therefore, it is very relevant to study the changes in the gambling behavior of mainland China gamblers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This study aims to examine how the COVID-19 epidemic impacts gambling behavior. To compare gamblers' past and existing gambling behaviors under corresponding countermeasures for the regional sector counterpart to the COVID-19 epidemic.

A survey was employed to examine the gambling behavior of Chinese gamblers in Macau. Cross-sectional studies were used to compare gamblers' past and existing gambling behaviors.

The results revealed that a high proportion of mainland Chinese gamblers stopped traveling to gamble in Macau. Instead, they switched to online gambling which caused a decline in gambling bets, gambling time spent, and social gambling, but increased online gambling during the epidemic. Young people spend more time gambling and betting, and the behavior of people with mood disorders has changed significantly. The results showed that casino gambling activities were hindered by the pandemic outbreak, which will cause a shift from problem gambling to online gambling as casinos decline.

A high proportion of the original Chinese mainland gamblers did not choose to go to Macau to gamble during COVID-19. Whatever the cause, the post-pandemic has led gamblers to rely less on live gambling and turn more to online gaming. The pandemic has led to a reduction in the amount of money spent on-site and a reduction in the length of stay at the casino. In the past, casinos were one of the most popular social places for gamblers, but during the epidemic, the measures taken by the government and enterprises to control this epidemic have affected the social gambling behavior of gamblers to a certain extent. Younger generations are more affected by online gambling. Gambling was popular during the epidemic, and the amount and frequency of gambling were so high that a tendency to gamble was present. The findings suggest that the pandemic has reduced on-site gambling and provided a favorable environment to control problem gambling. Gambling behavior may be shifting from casinos to online gambling as a result of the pandemic outbreak.