Symposium on Responsible Gambling :
People, Practice and Policy

Welcome Speech

Distinguished Speakers, Guests and Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good morning!

On behalf of the University of Macau, I would like to convey our most welcome to you to the “Symposium on Responsible Gambling: People, Practice and Policy”, the hallmark event of the “Responsible Gambling Awareness Week” in Macao.

In response to the explosive growth of the gaming industry in Macau, we are glad to have the opportunity to co-organize this Symposium with the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.  This is a great platform for the government officials, industry practitioners, international scholars from Hong Kong and Macao SARs to discuss the gambling issues and the latest trends and challenges in responsible gambling.

Mr. Edmund Ho, Chief Executive of the Macao SAR, stated in his Policy Address for the fiscal year 2009 that the Government would “formulate guidelines for responsible gambling in accordance with international standards”. In this sense, the University of Macau, in cooperation with the Macao Social Welfare Bureau, the Macao Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau, organized the “Responsible Gaming Awareness Week” to raise awareness of the potential harms of gambling as well as to promote an atmosphere of responsible gambling in Macao.  “The Awareness Week” is also supported by the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau, casino operators and non-governmental organizations in Macao.

Responsible gambling is not a new concept in the Western world. However, its history is short and there are still many areas to be further explored.  There is a consensus in the academia that responsible gambling is a shared responsibility among the stakeholders including gamblers, government, gambling service providers, counselors, etc.  The theme of this symposium is “People, Practice and Policy”.  We will discuss responsible gambling behavior and responsible gaming operations, and to foster idea exchanges among experts and scholars in the field of responsible gambling.

On behalf of the University of Macau, I would like to thank all distinguished speakers and guests including our keynote speakers, Prof. Robert Ladouceur and Prof. Peter Collins, for their support in this symposium.  I would also like to thank the sponsors: Macao Social Welfare Bureau, Macao Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau, Melco Crown Entertainment and Altira Macau, and our working partner The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, for their contributions towards this symposium.

Finally, I wish this symposium a very successful one and wish all of you a very pleasant and fruitful stay in Macao. Thank you very much.

Professor Simon S.M. Ho
Acting Rector