The gambling landscape in the United States is complex. Urban casinos became more popular in the northeastern United States in the early 2000s. The effect of urban casinos on the communities around them is not well-understood. The author of this paper compiled and summarized the literature on casino proximity and the impact of urban casinos on host communities along the northeast corridor of the United States. The author found few empirical studies on how urban casinos affect the communities they are in. Most urban casinos are placed in communities that already have a culture of gambling. These communities tend to have low socioeconomic status. Two theories have been proposed to explain how casinos might impact the surrounding communities. However, there is not yet much research that tests these theories.
