Urban casinos are casinos located in dense urban areas, such as major cities. Previous research suggests that urban casinos may impact problem gambling or gambling-related problems in local communities. The focus of this study was based on one urban casino (or ‘racino’ since the facility includes a racetrack), Resorts World New York City (RWNYC). This study examined the links between proximity to the racino and poverty levels in New York City over the five years since the racino opened in 2011.
The researcher examined Public Use Microdata Samples (PUMS) scores from 2012 to 2016. This dataset was collected by the American Community Survey (ACS). Average PUMS scores were used to determine poverty levels of local communities within a 50-mile radius of RWNYC.
The researcher analyzed these scores based on proximity to the RWNYC. High proximity was defined as living within a 30-mile radius of the RWNYC. Low proximity was defined as living between 31 and 50 miles from the racino. The researcher found that high racino proximity (i.e., closer distance to the racino) was associated with higher poverty levels compared to low racino proximity. But poverty levels based on racino proximity did not change across the five years since the racino opened. The researcher suggested that the results support the exposure theory, but not the adaptation theory.
