One of the many questions that I get asked from people who visit Casinos is "why do I always see so many Chinese people in a casino?"
Chinese people not only enjoy gambling in their own country, they also enjoy gambling in other countries too. Therefore it should come as no surprise that as one of the largest populations in the world, the chances of seeing a Chinese person in a Casino are high. In-fact, research shows that Chinese people gamble 10% more than other nationalities. However, this isn't the main reason for Chinese people visiting casinos. Read on to find out more…
The influence of history
Chinese History books reveal that gambling has been part of the Chinese culture for more than one thousand years! The game of 'Mahjong' was one of the first games the people of China played. Developed by the Chinese Philosopher 'Confucius', the game became very popular amongst Chinese gamblers.
However, in 1949 the Chinese Government banned the game due its nature in the then Communist *culture. Gambling has always played a big part in the history of China. Here people accept gambling and this passion has been transferred to other generations. Because of this Chinese people don't feel any barriers when it comes to gambling.
The influence of culture
A culture can influence a person's personality and behavior. This might explain the behavior of Chinese gamblers. According to the Dutch philosopher (Hofstede, 2026) "a culture can vary on different cultural values: collectivism, exert power and insecurity".
Collectivism
China has what is referred to as "a collectivism culture". This means that people in this culture want to belong to a large group and their behaviour depends primarily on the normal behaviour displayed from this group. They agree with the opinion of the majority and they are also easily influenced by the majority. The people in this culture demonstrate the same behaviours, and this is reflected when it comes to gambling.
The people in this group highly value the behaviour demonstrated. An example of this behaviour can be seen in land based casinos. Gambling in a social environment with many other gamblers creates a strong sense of belonging to a group, hence the term "collectivism culture"
Exert power
In cultures where the power of the individual is very important, the opinions of such a person can have a huge influence and will be copied very easily.
This influence is particularly evident in china. There is a strong hierarchy between the people. If many people are deemed to have power, then their behaviour is accepted and copied very easily.
Respect for families is also very important amongst the Chinese, and there is also a strong hierarchy in the family. When the father gambles, it is then highly likely that the children will also gamble. This is another explanation as to why Chinese people gamble so often.
Insecurity
Chinese people have feelings of low insecurity. This means that they don't avoid high insecurity situations, and gambling is defiantly a situation with a lot of insecurity. You never know beforehand if you will win or lose. A person living in a culture where the insecurity level is very high is most likely not going to gamble.
Numbers bring luck
The Chinese are superstitious. Certain numbers are seen as "Lucky" and "Unlucky" This is why gambling on certain numbers is very popular. The numbers 6, 8 and 9 are deemed as lucky. The numbers 4, 5 and 7 are said to bring bad luck.
Gambling is the life of a Chinese person
Many Chinese people believe that gambling is a normal activity as it is widely accepted in their country. In addition they see gambling as a social activity; visiting casinos to meet people and to see their social contacts. Also many Chinese people go to casinos because it's like their second home. They enjoy belonging to a group (collectivism culture)
Chinese gamblers don't look for help
Chinese people will not feel comfortable searching for support should they have a gambling problem. They are afraid to lose face and wouldn't want people talking about their problems behind their back. China is a country where status and power is very important. If a Chinese person sought help for their problem, then it is highly likely that other people will find out and that's the last thing a Chinese person would want.
Conclusion
Culture has a very big influence on the behaviour of a Chinese gambler. This combined with the influence of their history, collectivism, power and low insecurity explains why they are likely to gamble so often. It is this culture which explains why a Chinese gambler will not look for help so easily should they be faced with a gambling problem.
