Checkered expectations: Predictors of approval of opening a casino in the Niagara community

Abstract

This paper reports on the findings of a survey prior to the opening of a casino in Niagara Falls, Ontario (N=1002 adults) on approval of the casino, expectations regarding the impact of the casino, attitudes toward gambling, gambling behaviour, and demographic information. The respondents generally had a positive attitude towards gambling. The expectations of community impact clustered into 3 factors: negative social consequences (crimes, addiction), negative environmental consequences (litter, noise, traffic), and positive economic consequences (jobs, stores, income). The majority of respondents expected economic benefits from the casino as well as a decrease in the environmental quality of..