April 2, 2019

Since April 2009, families in Singapore have been able to apply for a Family Exclusion Order (FEO) to prohibit a gambling family member from entering the local casinos if the family has experienced harm caused by their gambling exploits.

Associate Professor Esther Goh (NUS Social Work), Mr Vincent Ng (AMKFSC Community Services Ltd, Singapore), and Professor Brenda Yeoh (NUS Geography) investigated the benefits of FEOs from the viewpoint of the family members involved. They also examined why these families applied for FEOs. Importantly, this research highlighted the impact of problem gambling on the different types of family relationships across age, gender, and socioeconomic status. The findings can help generate more efficient and effective interventions for families that experience a higher risk of the negative effects of gambling.

Read ‘The family exclusion order as a harm-minimisation measure for casino gambling: the case of Singapore’ (International Gambling Studies, 2016) here.