The Psychology of Risk-taking in Gambling among Chinese Visitors to Macau

Abstract

The study attempts to replicate Zaleskiewicz's duality of risk-taking using the Stimulating-Instrumental Risk Inventory (SIRI) in the context of gambling participation among Mainland Chinese visitors to Macau. The objective was to examine if different risk-taking inclinations among Chinese gambling participants are associated with their gambling attitude, motivation and behaviour. Results found that stimulating risk-taking disposition was associated with motivations related to money, excitement, competition, challenge and a liking for risk. Stimulating risk-taking disposition was also associated with gambling expenditure. Interestingly, further results indicated that Chinese gamblers have a tendency to seek both exciting sensations as well as an opportunity to make money from gambling. Both stimulating risk-taking and profit-seeking instrumental risk-taking dispositions were associated with gambling attitude, games preference and gambling participation. Results may help to explain why Chinese are generally more serious and hard-core gamblers than their Western counterparts.