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Studies that determine social and economic impacts of gambling often focus on examining the effectiveness of a new policy or intervention. These studies identify the negative and positive economic impacts of introducing gambling. Positive impacts can include government revenue, enhanced public services, and an increase in entertainment options. Among the potential negative impacts are an increase in the number of people who have gambling problems and an increase in gambling-related harm. There is mixed evidence regarding the impact on crime, income level, quality of life, and attitude towards gambling. More research could be done in this area.
The positive and negative outcomes of gambling depend on many factors, including the type of gambling activity. For example, casinos and race tracks can be a good source of employment for communities. Further, casinos, electronic gaming machines (EGMs), and lotteries are a reliable source of revenue for governments and public services; but, they also create the most administrative costs and more often take business away from other local activities when compared to other types of gambling. Continuous forms of gambling (e.g., EGMS, Internet gambling) are more closely linked to problem gambling, while casinos have the strongest potential to increase crime.
Destination casinos have many features (e.g., entertainment, food, and shopping) that provide a benefit by bringing in revenue from outside communities. However, non-destination casinos, as well as EGMs, have the greatest potential to negatively impact individual quality of life. People who gamble on EGMs or Internet games are more likely to develop gambling problems and to have a negative attitude towards gambling.
Download the two-page Gambling Enviroment Factor summary (PDF)
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Download the Gambling Enviroment Factor section from the Conceptual Framework of Harmful Gambling (PDF)
Download the complete Conceptual Framework of Harmful Gambling (PDF)
Search the Evidence Centre for Social and Economic Impacts