Hashimoto: Casino Management: A Strategic Approach © 2008 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Hashimoto: Casino Management: A Strategic Approach © 2008 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Chapter 3 SOCIAL ENVIRONMENTS Ki-Joon Back, Kansas State University Bo Bernhard, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Hashimoto: Casino Management: A Strategic Approach © 2008 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Hashimoto: Casino Management: A Strategic Approach © 2008 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Social Benefits Benefits at the Community Level Casinos in Native American communities Significant decrease in Welfare Income maintenance programs Medical assistance Improved benefits Health – new medical facilities Educational – building schools Cultural – museum funding

Hashimoto: Casino Management: A Strategic Approach © 2008 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Hashimoto: Casino Management: A Strategic Approach © 2008 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Social Benefits Benefits at the Community Level Casinos at Large Increase job opportunities Support community programs such as: Teaching classes at local community colleges Helping senior citizens defray medical and utility costs

Hashimoto: Casino Management: A Strategic Approach © 2008 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Hashimoto: Casino Management: A Strategic Approach © 2008 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Benefits at the Individual Level Provide self-contained, party atmosphere that allows for a break from routine Provide stress relief Provide an intimate place to “ play ” with security and confidence AGA found customers come for fun and entertainment Provide a valuable social activity to engage in with family and friends NOTE: Whatever the actual benefits of casino gambling, the public perceptions of social benefits are not always stable.

Hashimoto: Casino Management: A Strategic Approach © 2008 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Hashimoto: Casino Management: A Strategic Approach © 2008 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Social Costs Gambling: The Downside Few of society’s complaints of gambling have endured over the years. The morality issue is no longer as resonant, as gambling is no longer viewed as sinful. Las Vegas is the most popular place to visit in the U.S. The issue of “getting something for nothing” from gambling no longer seems to upset as many as it once did.

Hashimoto: Casino Management: A Strategic Approach © 2008 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Hashimoto: Casino Management: A Strategic Approach © 2008 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Yesterday: Historical Problems Religious institutions defined public life; they helped identify the problem gambler. Moral institutions contributed substantially to the problems that excessive gamblers experienced. Some important lessons of history: Gambling problems have existed for a long time These problems are complex They “come from” a variety of places NOTE: We need to keep historical matters in mind when contemplating the best course of action in dealing with gambling problems today and in the future.

Hashimoto: Casino Management: A Strategic Approach © 2008 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Hashimoto: Casino Management: A Strategic Approach © 2008 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Today: Current Problems Problem Gambling or Pathological Gambling (the official psychological term) How do we define problem gambling today? How do we know if someone has a problem? Since problem gambling can be considered an “invisible” affliction, special care should be taken with efforts to assist these individuals in a gaming environment. Diagnosing should be left to professionals; employees should know how to help those who indicate that they have a problem.

Hashimoto: Casino Management: A Strategic Approach © 2008 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Hashimoto: Casino Management: A Strategic Approach © 2008 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Two types of problem gamblers Action problem gambler Gambles to achieve a rush Develops destructive affinity for the excitement of the game Seeks a high Tends toward action-oriented games like craps or sports wagering Escape problem gambler Gambles not to feel great, but to feel nothing Wishes to escape problems through gambling

Hashimoto: Casino Management: A Strategic Approach © 2008 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Hashimoto: Casino Management: A Strategic Approach © 2008 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Today: Current Problems Gambling and Crime Studies suggest correlations between pathological problem gamblers and a variety of offenses including: Fraud Stealing Embezzlement Forgery Robbery Criminal behaviors among adolescent gamblers may be more prevalent than among adults because the young have limited access to the finances needed to gamble. Any activity that generates an increase in traffic will lead to an absolute increase in criminal activity.

Hashimoto: Casino Management: A Strategic Approach © 2008 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Hashimoto: Casino Management: A Strategic Approach © 2008 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Today: Current Problems Gambling and Age Adolescent Gambling 80% of those aged 12 to17 gambled in the past year. 4 to 7% are classified as pathological gamblers. 9 to14% are qualified as “at risk.” Games of choice: Non-casino card games (40%) Games of skill (32%) Sports gambling (31%) Lottery (30%)

Hashimoto: Casino Management: A Strategic Approach © 2008 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Hashimoto: Casino Management: A Strategic Approach © 2008 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Gambling and Age Seniors 2.7% categorized as pathological gamblers 5.5% exhibited some gambling problems Most commonly cited motivational factors: Relax and have fun, get away for the day Pass the time, relieve boredom Meet new people Inexpensive meals, free transportation Discount coupons Slot clubs, dance clubs Discount prescription offers There is a tendency to “infantilize” older adults to protect them from gambling problems.

Hashimoto: Casino Management: A Strategic Approach © 2008 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Hashimoto: Casino Management: A Strategic Approach © 2008 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Tomorrow: Future Problems Internet gaming Rapid and dynamic developments concern those who think that “escapism” may be exacerbated in the home. Data on gambling patterns is easily collected with every gambling transaction; this transparency allows researchers greater access to more sophisticated information about how people gamble and how they develop problems. Research will play a vital role in helping us demystify the nuances of gambling problems.