Briefing: Gambling Impact Study
As it begins to weigh a host of proposals for up to three resort casinos and one slots parlor, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission this month announced that it has engaged a research team from the University of Massachusetts Amherst to study the economic and social impacts of the coming introduction of casino gambling in the Bay State.
Why is this research being undertaken?
The 2011 law that allows the casinos requires the commission to establish an “annual research agenda” to understand the social and economic effects of expanded gambling.
What does the commission hope to accomplish?
The project will create a monitoring system that will provide a baseline assessment of the status of gambling and other factors for strategic analysis and decision-making. It also seeks to detect early signs of social and economic changes ,promote responsible gambling and mitigate problem gambling through specific services.
What are the potential economic impacts of casino gambling the study could focus on?
Residents of cities and towns that could potentially host a casino or slots parlor have warned of several dangers of allowing either. Among them is the impact on local businesses. For example, residents in Worcester, a potential site for the slots parlor, told a public forum last month that they're concerned about lost revenue for local businesses, how well the jobs at the slots parlor would pay,, as well as a rise in poverty and personal bankruptcies.
How important is the emphasis on compulsive gambling?
In a blog post on the commission's website, Marlene Warner, the executive director of the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling, believes the UMass study “will provide solid and important data to inform problem gambling services and policy, within Massachusetts and with similar programs in the United States and abroad.”
Who will lead the research effort?
The study's principal investigator is Rachel Volberg, a health and sciences professor at UMass Amherst and a 28-year veteran in gambling research. The research team, which had its initial meeting last week, according to the commission, includes members from the university, as well as from Nevada, Chicago and Canada.
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