Migrant workers lead peer efforts to tackle problem gambling

Migrant workers serving as community ambassadors are taking on an increasingly vital role in addressing gambling addiction within their peer groups, leveraging trust and shared cultural understanding to encourage vulnerable individuals to seek help.

These ambassadors, drawn from migrant worker communities across the region, are trained to identify early warning signs of problem gambling and guide their fellow workers through self-exclusion mechanisms. The peer-to-peer approach has proven effective in reaching individuals who might otherwise avoid formal intervention programmes, as the ambassadors share similar backgrounds and daily experiences with those they assist.

Self-exclusion programmes allow individuals to voluntarily ban themselves from gambling venues and online platforms, providing a structured pathway to break cycles of addiction. By positioning trusted community members as programme facilitators, organisations have seen increased participation rates among migrant workers, a demographic that often faces barriers to accessing traditional counselling services due to language, cultural, or documentation concerns.

The initiative reflects growing recognition that problem gambling poses significant risks to migrant worker populations, who may turn to gambling as a coping mechanism amid challenging work conditions and social isolation. By empowering community ambassadors, the programmes create sustainable support networks that address both the immediate harms of excessive gambling and underlying vulnerabilities within these communities.