This article uses examples of problem gambling and help seeking among Chinese international students in New Zealand to demonstrate place identity transformation. Two-wave narrative interviews were conducted with 15 Chinese international students. Place identity among participants is shown to be a process that features the transformation of participants' identity. While the casinos in which the Chinese international students gambled gave rise to negative place identities, positive place identities facilitated the participants to change their problematic gambling. Through the investigation of place identity transformation, this article promotes a strength-based, non-labelling approach to intervention for people who are concerned about their gambling behaviours. © The Author(s) 2015.

place identity problem gambling narrative Asian young adults

China Social Identification human ethnology interview Young Adult student Humans psychology Interviews as Topic male gambling female verbal communication Narration therapy help seeking behavior adult New Zealand Students Help-Seeking Behavior social behavior