Original scientific paper
Social impacts of casino gaming in Macao: A qualitative analysis
Yim King Penny Wan
; Faculty of Business Administration, University of Macau, Macau, China
Xin Crystal Li
; Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Weng Hang Kong
; Institute For Tourism Studies, Macao, China
Abstract
The casino gaming sector has witnessed rapid growth worldwide in the past three decades. As the casino industry has been developing rapidly, it is important to understand the pros and cons of casino development and seek ways to minimize the potential negative impacts. This study investigates the social consequences of casino gaming in Macao since the liberalization of casino licensing in 2002, using a qualitative research method. The results reveal that the expansion of casino gaming did bring certain social benefits to the community, such as increased personal incomes and improvement in the city's financial power, landscape, infrastructure and facilities, and the enlargement of entertainment and recreation facilities. There were also many negative social costs, including; uncontrolled urban development, reduction of public leisure and green spaces, heavy traffic and traffic congestion, a high drop-out rate among school students, increase in problem gambling and crime, increased demand for counselling services and public health treatment, deteriorating quality of life and finally the difficulties of many small and medium-sized businesses in competing with the larger casino businesses. The results indicate that the challenges outweigh the benefits. Policy implications for destination managers in Macao and in other locales intending to open casinos are offered.
Keywords
casino gaming; social impacts; Macao; China
Hrčak ID:
68292
URI
Publication date:
23.5.2011.
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