Table 1 Empirical studies conducted in relation to gambling among Malaysians
Authors/Title | Design | Participants | Findings |
|---|---|---|---|
Tan et al. (2010) “Socio-demographic determinants of gambling participation and expenditures: Evidence from Malaysia” | Analysed pre-existing data from the 2004–2005 Malaysian Household Expenditure Survey from Malaysian Department of Statistics Stratified multistage with area probability sampling method Examined total monthly expenditures on gambling activities | N = 6117 non-Muslim households (3200 Chinese, 810 Indians, 2107 other ethnicities) with an average income of RM3065 | Socio-demographic factors associated with higher level of gambling expenditures are Chinese, affluent, paternal-headed, younger and non-white collar households Education and age affect gambling expenditures among Chinese households Higher income and paternal households predicted higher gambling expenditures White-collar Chinese and Indian households have lower gambling probabilities |
Yoong et al. (2013) “This is not gambling but gaming: Methods of promoting a lottery gaming company in a Malaysian daily” | Critical discourse analysis of articles published in a Malaysian newspaper on a lottery gaming company Qualitative research—Fairclough’s framework of analysis | Not applicable (used published materials as data) | Charity activities used as false positive associations with lottery company’s gambling activities Journalistic and reporting integrity of the local daily are questionable Endorsements by influential individuals as a positive association Winnings published regularly can impact the perception of a high probability of striking a win through lottery, which can be misleading to readers |
Ndubisi et al. (2012) “Ethical ideologies, perceived gambling value, and gambling commitment: An Asian perspective” | Relationship marketing paradigm Field survey of customers in a leading Asian gambling establishment over 3 weeks Evaluated inter-relationships between ethical ideology, gambling commitment and perceived gambling value | N = 382 customers (50.8 % males, 49.2 % females; 80 % Chinese, 20 % non-Chinese; 2.1 % Muslims, 97.9 % Muslims; 41.6 % low income, 59.4 % middle to high income) | Patrons with relativist ethical ideologies were more committed to gambling as compared to idealist ideologies Negative association between idealism and perceived gambling value Positive association between relativism and perceived gambling value Perceived gambling value moderates: (1) the negative association between idealism and gambling commitment, and (2) the positive association between relativism and commitment |
Sawari et al. (2010) “On the question of gambling in giving prizes to the holders of savings certificates: An Islamic analysis on Malaysian practice” | Qualitative research—content analysis of Islamic Syari’ah literature and interviews Investigated the Islamic legality of prize-giving practices through monthly draws to selected holders of a savings account in a National Savings Bank of Malaysia | Not specified in the article | In Syari’ah law, gambling and retaining revenues gained through any form of gambling is prohibited Personal savings certificate (PSC) is not associated with gambling under Syari’ah due to the winning and losing payout ratio |
Tan et al. (2009) “The demand for vices in Malaysia: An ethnic comparison using household expenditure data” | Analysed pre-existing data from the 2004–2005 Malaysian Household Expenditure Survey Econometric estimation of a trivariate Tobit system to examine the demand for vices (tobacco, alcohol and gambling) | N = 14,082 households (37.57 % reported tobacco expenditures, 7.87 % alcohol, 7.46 % gambling expenditures) | Higher education predicted lower expenditures on vices White-collar headed households are less likely to smoke Higher disposable income predicted higher tendency to spend on tobacco (Malay households) and all vices (Chinese and all other ethnicities) Male-headed households spend more on vices as compared to female-headed households |
Tudin and Woon (2012) “Factors influencing individuals’ gambling behaviour: A case study in Malaysia” | Convenience sampling survey of customers in Casino de Genting, Malaysia Examined demographics, gambling behaviour and factors contributing to gambling decisions (i.e., marketing activities, sociocultural environment and psychological variables) | N = 200 participants above 19 years (71.5 % Malaysians, 52.5 % male) | Marketing activities (promotions, services, positioning and winnings) predicted higher gambling behaviour In this study, psychological variables (motivation, personality, perception, cognitions) did not significantly predict gambling behaviour. This result can be attributed to small sample size and weaknesses in data analysis methods. |
Choong et al. (2014) “The experience of recovering gamblers in Malaysia: A phenomenological study” | Qualitative analyses on interviews conducted with treatment seeking gamblers | N = 10 (phenomenological analysis on recovering gamblers) | Family support is essential in the recovery from gambling disorder A reduction in enabling behaviours (e.g., helping gambler to pay off debts) is a key turning point for gambling recovery |
Loft and Loo (2014) “Understanding the Mechanisms Underlying Gambling Behaviour and Sleep” | Quantitative analyses on sleep difficulty, sleep habits, arousability, self-regulatory capacity and problem gambling severity | N = 59 (treatment seeking gamblers) | Self-regulatory capacity mediates the relationship between problem gambling and sleep difficulty Self-regulatory capacity is also a significant mediator between problem gambling and negative sleep habits Arousability predicted sleep difficulty and negative sleep habits |