The report discusses the market demand for mass market casinos, resort casinos and exclusive clubs and provides an international review of the social impacts of casinos, looking at people's perceptions of gambling. It uses case studies from Australia, South Africa, and the United States to examine the relationship between casino location and communities.

It looks at how casino development can assist urban regeneration in its widest sense and considers the potential impact of casinos on regeneration, particularly tourism related regeneration.

The role of casino developments as local economic development initiatives is discussed. The report assesses the extent of leakage casino developments might bring to the local economy, and the multiplier effect on the local economy. The types of jobs created in host economies are described including construction work, operators of casino developments, and operators in spin off businesses.

The positive and negative impacts of casinos on social and community regeneration are explored, and the problems of pathological gambling, youth gambling, and electronic gaming are discussed.

The effects of casino gambling on crime and quality of life in new casino jurisdictions in the United States are looked at.

The report also discusses the sort of areas that might benefit most from casino-led regeneration, and issues to consider when deciding the location and siting of casinos.

Under the Gambling Act 2005, 17 casinos are to be permitted in the United Kingdom. As a new form of regeneration initiative in the UK, casinos are expected to serve as a catalyst for regeneration in the host area to stimulate economic as well as social growth and development.

International research and case studies have been used to explore the issues surrounding the impact of casinos. The researcher has relied heavily on published reports and academic studies, but has tried to present, through extensive sources, a balanced summary of the views on casinos’ potential impact.

Gambling is controversial because its benefits are largely funded by the losses of others. Although casinos may bring positive economic and social effects, the economic benefits in the host area may not be as great as expected.

Gambling is more acceptable in a society where discretionary income is high rather than low - people on low incomes need to be protected from gambling as they are more vulnerable to it becoming a problem.

Policy makers should prioritise their objectives when agreeing to casino development in their area and make every effort to understand the qualitative and quantitative trade-offs implied by establishing a casino to maximise regeneration impacts.

It is also important to assess the casino development’s potential impact on the physical environment. Local authorities should be aware that there will be positive and negative impacts on the host area.

Casino Advisory Panel Secretariat, Department for Culture Media and Sport
Phone: +44 20 7211 6200
enquiries@culture.gov.uk

28/11/2006

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Karen N.K. Lee

research

Urban Policy > Economy knowledge & employment > Urban economy

Employment