A 65-year-old Jesuit soccer fan has warned people against getting caught up in betting on the World Cup, which began June 11 in South Africa.
“Gambling is no good in itself,” said Father Robert Ng Chi-fun, who teaches moral theology at Holy Spirit Seminary College. Gambling on soccer matches could also lead to cheating, he said. The Asian church news agency UCA News also reported staff at a Caritas counseling center is worried about betting during the tournament.
It is often “a catalyst for gambling,” said Joe Tang, director of the Caritas Addicted Gamblers Counseling Center. The center saw a 20 percent rise in counseling cases during the 2006 World Cup, he said. Many people who gamble on soccer are ages 18-25, according to a survey Caritas conducted from 2003 to 2010.
The center has suggested stepping up preventive education in schools, especially during the World Cup.
HONG KONG (CNS)