Casino Gambling Research Articles

The Utilisation of Music by Casino Managers: An Interview Study.

Music is ubiquitous in retail and commercial environments, with some managers believing that music can enhance the customer experience, increase footfall and sales and improve consumer satisfaction. Casino gambling is popular in the United Kingdom and anecdotal evidence suggests that music is often present. However, little is known about the rationale for music use from the perspective of casino managers. In this study semi-structured interviews were conducted with five casino managers to establish their motivations for utilising music, the factors informing their choice of music and the extent to which music is used with the intention of influencing gambling behaviour. Results showed that casino managers utilised two types of music-recorded background music, often sourced via external music supply companies and live music. Live music was often situated away from the gaming floor and used primarily to accompany participation in non-gambling activities. Recorded background music was not used with the direct aim of influencing customers' gambling behaviour, but to create the right atmosphere for gambling and to promote certain moods within the casinos. To achieve these aims casino managers manipulated the tempo, volume and genre of the recorded background music. Casino managers also reported that some gamblers listen to music via portable music players, possibly with the intention of customising their gambling experience. This study is unique as it has provided a first-hand account of casino managers' implicit theories with regards to why they utilise music and the roles which music is considered to fulfil in casinos.

Internet based personalized feedback interventions for gamblers in Singapore: First results.

Problem or pathological gambling has been a worldwide concern in the recent years, especially so with the advances in the technology, facilitating easier access to various means of gambling. Along with the advances in web-based and smartphone technologies, these technologies have been recently applied as adjunctive clinical tools to help gamblers. Taking into careful consideration the existing evidence base for Internet based interventions for pathological gambling, it seemed that the current published literature has demonstrated largely the efficacy of a personalized feedback intervention for pathological gambling; and further studies are still under-going to try and demonstrate the clinical feasibility of online web-based cognitive behavioral interventions for pathological gamblers. Given this, the aims of the current study are to (a) replicate an online personalized feedback intervention and determine its receptiveness in an Asian cohort of gamblers; and (b) to identify the demographics and characteristics of Asian gamblers who would utilize an online intervention. The workgroup at the National Addiction Management Service, Singapore conceptualized the online personalized feedback intervention for gamblers. The English version was launched on the 31st of March 2014 and the Chinese version was launched on the 30th of September 2014. A cumulative total of 708 participants took part with rhe mean age of the participants being 32.70 (SD = 11.638), with 89.1% males and 10.9% females. The mean problem gambling severity score (PGSI) was 10.80 (SD = 8.13), with the vast majority participating in Casino gambling on board a cruise (36.0%). Of significance, approximately 59.2% of the participants who sought help with our online e-intervention did have a diagnosis of problem gambling. This is one of the first few studies to demonstrate and replicate the potential use of an Internet based intervention for non-problem and problem gamblers. The current study has demonstrated that individuals are generally receptive towards such an intervention.

From the mouths of social media users: A focus group study exploring the social casino gaming-online gambling link.

Background and aimsThe potential link between social casino gaming and online gambling has raised considerable concerns among clinicians, researchers and policy makers. Unfortunately, however, there is a paucity of research examining this potential link, especially among young adults. This represents a significant gap given young adults are frequently exposed to and are players of social casino games.MethodsTo better understand the potential link between social casino games and online gambling, we conducted three focus groups (N = 30) at two large Canadian Universities with college students who were avid social media users (who are regularly exposed to social casino games).ResultsMany participants spontaneously mentioned that social casino games were a great opportunity to build gambling skills before playing for real money. Importantly, some participants expressed a belief that there is a direct progression from social casino gaming to online gambling. Conversely, others believed the transition to online gambling depended on a person’s personality, rather than mere exposure to social casino games. While many young adults in our focus groups felt immune to the effects of social casino games, there was a general consensus that social casino games may facilitate the transition to online gambling among younger teenagers (i.e., 12–14 yr olds), due to the ease of accessibility and early exposure.DiscussionThe results of the present research point to the need for more study on the effects of social casino gambling as well as a discussion concerning regulation of social casino games in order to minimize their potential risks.

Citizens Against Casino Gambling in Erie County, et al v. Jonodev Osceola Chaudhuri et alCase No. 11-517, 11-5466, 13-2339, 13-2777; 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 16439 (U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, September 15, 2015)

Gaming Law Review and EconomicsVol. 20, No. 1 CasesCitizens Against Casino Gambling in Erie County, et al v. Jonodev Osceola Chaudhuri et alCase No. 11-517, 11-5466, 13-2339, 13-2777; 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 16439 (U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, September 15, 2015)Published Online:12 Feb 2016https://doi.org/10.1089/glre.2016.20112AboutSectionsPDF/EPUB Permissions & CitationsPermissionsDownload CitationsTrack CitationsAdd to favorites Back To Publication ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 20Issue 1Feb 2016 InformationCopyright 2016, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.To cite this article:Citizens Against Casino Gambling in Erie County, et al v. Jonodev Osceola Chaudhuri et alCase No. 11-517, 11-5466, 13-2339, 13-2777; 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 16439 (U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, September 15, 2015).Gaming Law Review and Economics.Feb 2016.104-117.http://doi.org/10.1089/glre.2016.20112Published in Volume: 20 Issue 1: February 12, 2016PDF download

Not just another crapshoot development: the challenges and opportunities of modelling after Las Vegas and Macao as an economic development strategy in the 21st century

Recent decades highlight an extraordinary growth of casino gambling all over the world. In the race to build casino-cities, particularly to reap economic and social benefits, most aspirers look to replicate the development models of the most famous casino-cities known to date, Las Vegas and Macao. Countries that have modelled after the aforementioned casino-cities have had mix results of success; e.g., Singapore, which followed Macao, yielded considerable success, while other states of the US which modelled Las Vegas, such as Atlantic City, did not have as much luck. In this respect, the countries adhere to the words of the wise; “Standing on the shoulders of the giants”. Yet, perhaps explaining why no country can really replicate the successful development experiences of Las Vegas and Macao, most countries fail to see beyond the glitz and glamor to recognize the key challenges and opportunities that helped make Las Vegas and Macao; e.g., with respect to the presence of domestic organized crime groups. This paper delves deep into identifying the key actors and circumstances that made the aforementioned cities what they are today, elucidating the integral development strategies used during their formative years. Utilizing a Marxian approach to understanding the state and state-civil society relations, the paper elucidates why no country can really replicate the development models of Las Vegas and Macao without appreciating its socio-political characteristics and the intricate ties between the upperworld and underworld during their formative years. In light of the findings, recommendations are provided for future research and pragmatic endeavours.

Riverboat casino gambling impacts on employment and income in host and surrounding counties

This paper explores how the introduction of casinos in riverboat states (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Missouri) in the mid-1990s impacted county income and employment. Building on the previous literature, this study extends the analysis beyond the county with the casino to explore the effects experienced by neighboring counties using both a difference-in-differences estimation and a spatial Durbin model. Real per capita county income is found to increase in counties with casinos, while unemployment drops. Neighboring counties also experience significant increases in income, though to a lesser magnitude, while unemployment rates are unaffected. Where adjacent counties each have casinos, a competition effect is found that reduces the impacts below what either county would have experienced without competition. Neighboring counties that have casinos experience increases in income and decreases in unemployment similar to counties without casinos that are adjacent to casino counties.

Data linkage: An untapped resource for reducing serious traffic injuries in fast developing countries.

Reliable high quality traffic safety data has been essential for monitoring, developing and evaluating strategies to reduce the burden of injuries from traffic injuries. Information is often available in many different sources including police reports, ambulance/emergency medical service (EMS) run data, emergency department(ED) and hospital data, and mortality data from death certificates or medical examiner/coroner systems. However while each of these data systems has their own strengths and weakness, none can provide a comprehensive picture of traffic related injuries. Hospital trauma center records for example have extensive information on injuries and related medical problems but lack details on the mechanism of injury and crash and roadway characteristics. Often medical data cannot even distinguish drivers from pedestrians. Police or insurance crash reports on the other hand have considerable detail on the crash and circumstances surrounding it but have very poor data on the actual injuries sustained or their severity. This impedes targeting of prevention strategies towards serious injuries and fatalities. This presentation will use examples from current work on data linkage to demonstrate the value of linking traffic record data and explore how this approach can greatly advance traffic medicine and road safety in fast developing countries. In the United States linkage of crash data and medical data has been important for many traffic safety programs. One example is Maryland’s Crash Outcome Data Evaluation System (CODES) that uses probabilistic methodology to link police crash records to injury outcome records. CODES was established in an effort to improve highway safety through the use of linked motor vehicle crash data collected from police, EMS, hospitals (emergency department or inpatient admissions), and death certificates. This linked data have been used for a variety of statewide studies such as of injured motorcyclists, effectiveness of seat belts at preventing injuries, studies of older drivers, an analysis of mismatch collisions, geographic analysis of pedestrian injuries, patterns of injury in frontal collisions, costs and consequences of lower extremity injuries, the safety of newer vehicles, and the impact of casino gambling on alcohol-related crashes. A new project seeks to overcome the serious lack of reliable routine data on drug involvement in fatal crashes by linking detailed toxicology data from medical examiners with the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) in a sentinel group of states. Similar data linkage is also used in other countries such as a New Zealand study estimating underreporting of serious injuries by police reports. An Australian study noted that workers compensation datasets can identify most serious cases of occupational traffic injuries but lack valuable information on the circumstances and risk factors contributing to work-related crashes. Through linkage to police crash reports the study was able to identify high risk groups such as heavy vehicle drivers and the role played by fatigue and speeding. Many fast developing countries also have useful crash reports either from police or insurance reports. However only through linkage with medical data can their full potential for reducing the burden of serous traffic injuries be realized?

Online Appendix to: 'Optimal Exit Time from Casino Gambling: Strategies of Pre-Committed and Naive Gamblers'

This document is an online appendix to Optimal Exit Time from Casino Gambling: Strategies of Pre-committed and Naive Gamblers by X.D. He, S. Hu, J. Obloj, and X.Y. Zhou.The paper to which these Appendices apply is available at the following URL: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2684043

Optimal Exit Time from Casino Gambling: Strategies of Pre-Committed and Naive Gamblers

We employ the casino gambling model in He et al (2015) (available at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2534936) to study the strategies of a pre-committed gambler, who commits her future selves to the strategy she sets up today, and of a naive gambler, who fails to do so and thus keeps changing plans at every time. We identify conditions under which the pre-committed gambler, asymptotically, adopts a stop-loss strategy, exhibits the behavior of disposition effect, or does not exit. For a specific parameter setting when the utility function is piece-wise power and the probability weighting functions are concave power, we derive the optimal strategy of the pre-committed gambler in closed-form whenever it exists. Finally, we study the actual behavior of the naive gambler and highlight its marked differences from that of the pre-committed gambler.The appendices for this paper are available at the following URL: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2682637

Social casino gaming and adolescents: Should we be concerned and is regulation in sight?

While gambling has traditionally been viewed as an adult activity, there is a growing body of research that a significant number of adolescents are not only gambling but are experiencing gambling related problems. As ease of access via Internet wagering has increased, so too have some of the concomitant problems. Social casino gambling, often thought of gambling without risking one's money through the use of virtual currency, has become increasingly popular. The current review examines whether we should be concerned over its widespread use and whether such social games should be regulated.

When gambling is healthy: the restorative potential of casinos

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to explore the positive aspects of casinos, and gambling entertainment in particular, by revealing the health potential of these commercial establishments. In doing so, this work helps explain the affinity of Chinese consumers with gambling.Design/methodology/approach– The authors draw on Attention Restoration Theory to put forth a framework on the restorative potential of a casino on human health and its effects on managerial outcomes. The authors use a sample of 605 Chinese tourists in Macau and use both structural equation modeling and moderation analyses.Findings– Tourists’ ability to sense a casino’s restorative potential is positively related to their well-being and their propensity to view Macau as a value, to spend money in Macau and to revisit Macau. Moderation analyses reveal that tourists may still perceive a casino’s restorative qualities regardless of whether they plan to engage in gambling or other activities, are winning or losing money or reside outside mainland China.Research limitations/implications– The paper links gaming studies to the transformative research paradigm and considers the possibility that some socially unacceptable services may actually be beneficial to human well-being.Practical implications– The results help clarify why Chinese tourists tend to engage in casino patronage and gambling activities throughout the world.Social implications– This work discusses health benefits associated with socially unacceptable products and suggests that many “sinful services” may offer consumers transformative benefits.Originality/value– The paper is one of the first to explore positive aspects of gambling and spending time in casino environments, while showing that casinos may be “healthy places” for some consumers.

Strategic Destination Management in the Face of Foreign Competition: The Case of Macao SAR

ABSTRACTThis study illustrates that the gaming market is underutilized in mainland China, and legalizing casino gambling is strategically helpful in mitigating the problem of market underutilization and preventing a mass exodus of capital to foreign gaming establishments. An analytic model is constructed to analyze and predict the possible consequences of such a prospective policy for a major gaming destination: Macao. To maintain its economic prosperity, Macao is advised to upgrade its gaming facilities and service levels, and to promote itself as a world-class gambling destination. In the long term, it must widen its clientele base and diversify its economy.

Assessing the Risks Associated With Online Lottery and Casino Gambling: A Comparative Analysis of Players’ Individual Characteristics and Types of Gambling

Previous studies have found that online gambling operates in riskier betting conditions than offline gambling and attracts players with more demographic risk factors for gambling disorders. This study reveals that online lottery/casino players, compared to their offline counterparts, also have more psychographic risk factors such as a higher level of trust in the Internet, which could increase susceptibility to unscrupulous manipulation. By type of gambling, online casino players, as opposed to online lottery players, have a stronger tendency to thriftlessness and a lower degree of sociability, two psychographics that, in interaction with the riskier online betting conditions, could make online casino players particularly vulnerable. These findings suggest that governments’ policy/educational initiatives to prevent gambling disorders should be adapted to the specific levels of risk associated with each type of online gambling and their users’ profiles.

GAMBLING DEMAND: A META-ANALYSIS OF THE PRICE ELASTICITY

Many studies have examined the demand for gambling, providing roughly 200 estimates of the price elasticity associated with horse racing, casino gaming, and the lottery. Treating these price elasticities as observations of the dependent variable in a meta-regression model, several features of the literature are found to influence the price responsiveness of gambling. For instance, the price elasticity of casino gambling is lowest in absolute value, while the price elasticities of horse racing and the lottery are of similar value. Also, not only are there regional differences in the price elasticity of gambling, but other model features, such as the functional form of gambling demand, are found to influence the price elasticities.

Social service providers' perspectives on casino gambling in older adult clients

There has been an upward trend in gambling, particularly among older adults. With the baby-boomer generation moving toward retirement, this trend is expected to increase. Availability and social acceptability of casinos in the United States are 2 of many precipitating factors for older adults' increased enthusiasm for gambling. Noticeably absent from the literature on casino gambling is the perspective of senior social service providers (SSSPs). The present study used a cross-sectional open-ended questionnaire completed by 88 SSSPs in Washington State. The purpose of this study was to describe the SSSPs' (a) perceptions of older adults' motivations to participate in casino gambling, (b) experience with older adults who have gambling problems, (c) views and knowledge of problem gambling, and (d) perception of the need for training on gambling problems. The most prevalent reasons cited for older adults to patronize casinos were the entertainment of gambling and the desire to win money. The least prevalent reasons included peer pressure, to learn new things, and for a public smoking environment. Many respondents (42.0%) felt that their clients were aware of the risks of casino gambling. However, almost one third (29.5%) reported that their clients were largely unaware of the risks. Almost all of the respondents (85.2%) reported they had not received any training regarding problem gambling. The findings indicate the need to educate SSSPs about the potential positive and negative consequences of casino gambling.

Gambling behaviors and attitudes in adolescent high-school students: Relationships with problem-gambling severity and smoking status

Background and aimsSmoking is associated with more severe/extensive gambling in adults. The purpose of this study was to examine relationships between smoking and gambling in adolescents. MethodsAnalyses utilized survey data from 1591 Connecticut high-school students. Adolescents were classified by gambling (Low-Risk Gambling [LRG], At Risk/Problem Gambling [ARPG]) and smoking (current smoker, non-smoker). The main effects of smoking and the smoking-by-gambling interactions were examined for gambling behaviors (e.g., type, location), and gambling attitudes. Data were analyzed using chi-square and logistic regression; the latter controlled for gender, race/ethnicity, grade, and family structure. ResultsFor APRG adolescents, smoking was associated with greater online, school, and casino gambling; gambling due to anxiety and pressure; greater time spent gambling; early gambling onset; perceived parental approval of gambling; and decreased importance of measures to prevent teen gambling. For LRG adolescents, smoking was associated with non-strategic gambling (e.g., lottery gambling); school gambling; gambling in response to anxiety; gambling for financial reasons; greater time spent gambling; and decreased importance of measures to prevent teen gambling. Stronger relationships were found between smoking and casino gambling, gambling due to pressure, earlier onset of gambling, and parental perceptions of gambling for ARPG versus LRG adolescents. DiscussionSmoking is associated with more extensive gambling for both low- and high-risk adolescent gamblers. ConclusionSmoking may be a marker of more severe gambling behaviors in adolescents and important to consider in gambling prevention and intervention efforts with youth.

Rent Seeking in Successive Monopoly: The Case of Casino Gambling in New Orleans

This study explores how rent seeking in the U.S. casino gambling industry relates to unique issues concerning industry structure. To do so, we apply mathematical and graphical approaches from industrial economics to the history of land-based casino gambling in New Orleans, Louisiana, a history that includes public franchising, successive monopoly, vertical separation and integration, and rent seeking costs. Our conceptual approach highlights how local governments can gain advantages over higher forms of government (e.g., state government) in rent seeking contests.

The Fiscal Impact of Legalized Casino Gambling

We examine the fiscal impact of legalized casino gambling, including Indian casinos. Our study examines the impact this legalization had on counties where casinos were located. Using county-level data between 1987 and 2007 and difference-in-differences estimation, we examine the impact of casino openings on county area government revenues, expenditures, sales tax revenues, and education expenditures. Our results indicate that casinos did not have a statistically significant impact on per capita government expenditures and revenues. However, this was due to differential impacts between commercial and Indian casinos and revenue-sharing legislation between states and counties. There is minimal evidence of a net impact on sales tax revenues in the counties where new casinos opened and some evidence, albeit weak, that Indian casinos are associated with lower county education expenditures. The results are robust when using propensity score matching results accounting for the endogeneity of casino location and spatial lag and error regressions.

Sociodemographic Correlates and Morbidity in Lottery Gamblers: Results from a Population Survey.

The aim of the current study was to examine the socio-demographic correlates, the association of mental and physical illness, and the prevalence of pathological gambling among three groups (1) those with lottery gambling only (2) those with lottery and other types of gambling and (3) those with other types of gambling only-such as playing cards, sports betting, horse racing, casino gambling etc. Data was used from a nationwide cross-sectional epidemiological nationally representative survey of the resident (Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents) population in Singapore of 6616 Singaporean adults aged 18years and older. All respondents were administered the South Oaks Gambling Screen to screen for pathological gambling. The diagnoses of mental disorders were established using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview and relevant socio-demographic data was collected using a structured questionnaire. Lottery gambling was by far the most popular form of gambling in Singapore, with 83.5% of those who had ever gambled indicating that they had participated in lottery gambling. Those who participated in lottery gambling alone were more likely to belong to the older age group (as compared to the 18-35years age group), be of Indian ethnicity, have a secondary or vocational education, and earn a lower income as compared to the other two groups. Our findings that those with pure lottery gambling were significantly less likely to be pathological gamblers and had significantly lower odds of psychiatric and physical morbidity as compared to the other two groups are unique and need further research.

Casino Taxation in a Normative and Economic Context: the Case of Poland

AbstractThe aim of this article is twofold. First, it provides an overview of theoretical background of casino taxation. Second, it analyses the provisions of the Act regulating casino taxation in Poland and evaluates the consequences of the new Gambling Law in force since 2010. The first section of it discusses motives, outcomes and forms of casino taxation, taking into account inter alia the assumptions of optimal tax theory. It then deals with Polish regulations concerning the organisation of gambling in casinos and gambling tax design. The last section of the article analyses the scale of operation of Polish casinos, their revenues and the tax due on gambling activities.