Community attitudes toward legalised gambling in Alberta

Abstract

Albertans representing five age cohorts (13–15, 18–20, 23–25, 43–45 and 63–65) were surveyed (n = 1809) to assess their attitudes toward gambling in general, gambling in Alberta and legal gambling's impacts in the province. Age, gender and problem gambling status were found to be reliable predictors of gambling attitudes in that younger male, non-problem gamblers were most approving of the activity. Results also indicate that Albertans are ambivalent about gambling and that gambling and public policy are mis-aligned to the extent that gambling's harms are thought to outweigh its benefits. Likely reasons for the gap between gambling policy and public opinion are that gambling issues lack the salience of ongoing high-profile topics such as the economy, health care, education and the environment, and gambling dependent special interest groups can exert considerable influence on gambling policy in ways that may not harmonise with the public interest.