Singapore reports problem gambling numbers

Answering a parliamentary request for information this week, Singapore Minister for Health Gan Kim Yong said that an estimated 1.4 percent of Singapore punters are possible pathological gamblers, well within international norms.

The minister said the statistics were based on several independent studies conducted over the past five years.

Non-gambling video gaming appeared to present a bigger problem, especially among the young, according to 2010 survey data, which indicated that 8.7 percent of 2,998 children and adolescents surveyed were pathological video-gamers.

Minister Gan said the Health Ministry funded the introduction of the National Addictions Management Service (NAMS) at the Institute of Mental Health in 2008 to provide a multidisciplinary assessment and treatment service for severe addiction cases.

Apart from providing training for healthcare and social service professionals, NAMS also conducts public forums to raise awareness.