3.2 mil. Japanese suspected gambling addicts

Sep 30 (NHK) - A survey has found that about 3.2 million Japanese may be addicted to gambling.

Researchers at the National Hospital Organization Kurihama Medical and Addiction Center conducted the survey from May to June. They interviewed 10,000 randomly selected men and women aged 20 through 74, and received responses from 4,685.

The team found that 158, or 3.6 percent, of the respondents are suspected of being addicted to gambling. They had fallen into debt or quarreled with people close to them due to gambling.

The team applied the percentage to the country's population to reach its finding of 3.2 million.

It also suspects that 32 of the respondents, or 0.8 percent, became addicted to gambling in the past year.

26 of them said they played pachinko and slot machines in pachinko parlors, spending an average of 58,000 yen, or over 515 dollars, per month on the activity.

Kurihama center director Susumu Higuchi said the survey was the first large-scale one of its kind in the country, and shows that a portion of the Japanese population may be gambling addicts.

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