"One hundred and fifty eight mahjong players in Macau completed a questionnaire on superstitious beliefs and the Canadian Problem Gambling Index (CPGI). It was hypothesised that mahjong superstition and education level would predict...
more"One hundred and fifty eight mahjong players in Macau completed a questionnaire on superstitious beliefs and the Canadian Problem Gambling Index (CPGI). It was hypothesised that mahjong superstition and education level would predict problem gambling. Problem gamblers scored significantly higher on superstitious beliefs than non-problem gamblers. A hierarchical regression analysis indicates that education level and mahjong superstition together predict problem gambling. The largest portion of the variance in problem gambling was accounted for by superstition. However, demographic predictors such as sex, age group, income, and relationship status were unrelated to problem gambling. Further, a logistic regression analysis showed that mahjong superstition scores correctly classified 95.1 % of problem gamblers and 93.4% of non- problem gamblers. The current findings suggest that superstitious beliefs may play a significant role in the maintenance of problem mahjong gambling.
(Word count: 134 words)
Keywords: cultural influence on gambling, superstition, Chinese mahjong gambling."
